With You
by ElsaInBlue
Summary: After an obscene amount of requests to put this back up, here it is. Modern AU; After several rounds of failed In vitro, Elsa becomes pregnant with her and Anna's baby while also dealing with the scars of her past (Elsanna but not incest). Fluff, drama, and tender loving (smut). Interweaves the story of how they fell in love through flashbacks.
1. Chapter 1

It had been the toughest year for both of them. When they first decided to start a family they had no idea what an adventure they were embarking on. It had seemed too easy. You fall in love with someone and build a life together. However, this had not been the case.

It was always assumed that Anna would be the one to carry their baby. She was warm and motherly but most of all had dreamed of being pregnant ever since she could remember. But by the fourth round of In vitro they started to see the light. Anna just wasn't able to get pregnant. Devastated and heartbroken, it took months for Elsa to get Anna to even consider trying again. Ever the optimist, Anna knew the only way they were going to have a baby was for Elsa to become pregnant instead of her.

So here she was some months later with a pregnancy test clutched in her hand. Biting her lower lip as she read the front of the box.

"Come on Elsa this one says you can take it five days before. It's five days before today. Right?"

Anna flipped the box over several times scrambling to find the instructions.

"I'd rather wait. You know how awful it feels when we only get that one ugly red line." Elsa refused to remove herself from the couch and instead focused on the New Year's Eve coverage on TV. She was not about to give herself false hope again only to be disappointed.

"Please Elsa. It could be different this time. And if it's negative we'll just wait another five days. Pleeeeeeese!"

Elsa knew she could never hold out against Anna. And she'd be lying if a small part of her didn't also want to find out.

"Fine," she said in a defeated tone. "But I'm not reading it."

She slowing pried herself away from the couch and made her way to the bathroom only to find Anna grinning with the test stick in her hand.

"Just to be clear. I am only here to pee. I don't want to read it and if it's negative I don't want to hear anything about it." She may have come off a bit cold but Anna knew Elsa well enough to know she was just scared.

"No problem Elsa. You just take this stick and do your thing. I'll take care of the rest."

When Elsa had finished she handed the stick off to Anna who immediately set the timer on her phone for five minutes. Elsa didn't want to admit how nervous she actually was to Anna and feared how devastated they would be in matter of a few minutes.

Elsa plopped herself back on the couch and tried to lose her focus to the glittering ball in Times Square on the screen. Anna followed not long after with a grin plastered across her face. She could hardly contain herself and shifted her eyes between Elsa and the screen, searching for any signs of excitement on Elsa's face.

"I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to go check."

Anna leaped over the side of the couch in one swift motion and ran back to bathroom, still grinning.

"Anna no! It's only been two minutes. You have to wait five. Please don't do this to yourself."

Elsa stared in the direction of the bathroom waiting for the sounds of disappointment. They had been through this before. Always ending in heartache. Elsa didn't know if she could take it again.

"Elsa! You'd better get in here!"

It took a moment before the blonde could even gather herself to respond.

"Why?"

"Just get in here. You're gonna want to see this!"

Anna was now yelling at full volume. For some reason Elsa couldn't get her body to move, her gaze still locked on the slightly open door of the bathroom. Suddenly a flash of red hair entered her line of vision and she was able to snap out it. Anna popped her head out into the hallway and smiled at Elsa like a Cheshire cat before dashing back into the bathroom. Making her way down the hall, a thousand thoughts began to swirl in Elsa's head.

"Look there's two lines!"

Elsa grabbed the stick from Anna and stared at it with a twisted look on her face.

"Oh my God. There's two lines. Two really thick lines."

"Yes, there are." Anna squealed as she wiggled in delight.

"The most beautiful lines I've ever seen in my life!"

Elsa held the stick in one hand and the instructions in another trying to confirm the miracle her eyes had just witnessed.

"We should take the digital one. Just in case this one is wrong. Remember when we got that bad test that one time."

Anna flung herself to a nearby cabinet, frantically searching for a digital pregnancy test they had bought over five months ago. "Okay here. Hopefully you can pee again."

Elsa smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. "I think I can manage."

Several minutes later the two huddled over the test stick awaiting a "YES" or "NO" to pop up on the screen. It felt like hours had gone by.

"How long for this one?" Anna groaned.

"It said it could take up to four minutes."

Anna was now covering her face with her hands but with her fingers around her eyes so that she could still see. And with that, a "yes" filled the test screen. Their jaws dropped in synchronization as they both gasped. Elsa grabbed the stick and reread it a few more times, as if she was making sure she hadn't made a mistake. Anna brought her hands to her mouth as she tried to control what felt like a damn of emotion that had just burst within her. All of the hard times they'd been through began to replay in her head. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"We did it. Elsa, we're having a baby!"

Still overcome with shock Elsa slowly began to let a smile creep across her face. She had been the one that had to be strong for both of them for so long and now she could finally give in to the joy they had been longing for.

"We are. We're having a baby!" They both fell into an embrace that last longer than any they had ever shared before. Anna couldn't hold it in any longer and began to cry into Elsa's shoulder. She held Anna close and softly caressed up and down her back.

"I love you so much Anna. And thank you for being inpatient and making me take the test early." Anna smiled up at Elsa and their eyes met. "I love you too." The faint sound of counting could be heard in the background.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot it's New Years. Well what a way to start the year!" Elsa let out a soft giggle as she squeezed Anna tighter.

"A new year and a whole new beginning."


	2. Chapter 2

It was only on rare occasions that Anna woke up before Elsa, usually when Elsa was sick or exhausted from work. On this particular morning it was perfectly clear why her sleeping beauty would need more rest. The best part about waking up first was getting to just watch Elsa sleep. She looked so peaceful as the sun shining through the window made her platinum blonde hair glow with a golden aura. Anna couldn't help but examine every feature of Elsa's face. Dreaming of what their little bundle of joy may look like someday.

Neither of them knew for sure who the baby would end up looking like since they had used both of their eggs in the procedure. They just couldn't decide whose to use so they left it up to chance. It gave an exciting element to an already thrilling experience that was just in the making. Anna ran her delicate fingers through the soft hair that framed Elsa's face. Just when she thought she couldn't love Elsa anymore than she already did, she found herself drawn to her even more now. A soft smile crept across Anna's face as she lovingly caressed Elsa's face, placing a light kiss on the blonde's perfectly blush cheek. Elsa let out a sigh as she began to open her eyes.

"Good morning beautiful," Anna gleamed.

"Good morning sunshine." A name that had stuck ever since Elsa said Anna's hair reminded her of the sunset.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better after getting some rest. I was so tired." Anna leaned in and pressed an ever so soft kiss to Elsa's lips.

"Mmmm. I should sleep in more often if this is the greeting I get."

Anna sat up and stretched her arms as she let out a rather loud yawn. Her hair was a complete mess. Red tresses matted together in what only could be described as a tumbleweed of hair.

"Well you should do it more often. I love watching you sleep. I was thinking we could go out for breakfast and then maybe hit the bookstore and get those books you were talking about."

Anna wasn't really one for reading but she knew Elsa loved to research as much as she could about something in order to be prepared. Elsa had stayed up the night before making a list of books to get. Two lists in fact, one for her and one for Anna.

"Look at you making plans for us on a weekend. I could get used to this."

Normally it was Elsa who liked to plan out their days and Anna just loved to engage in whatever adventure the blonde had in mind. Even though she'd been more tired than usual the past few weeks, Elsa felt like she was more relaxed than ever. Anna had started to assume the caretaker role and was actually becoming quite protective of Elsa. It was nice to be doted on and Elsa couldn't help but welcome the attention Anna poured onto her. Elsa sat up and lifted her shirt slightly surveying her stomach with a keen eye.

"Hmm. Still nothing."

"It's only been three weeks silly. I think you have to wait a little longer for a bump to show."

Elsa ran her hand over her lower abdomen, searching for any hint of curvature.

"It still doesn't quite feel real. I mean I don't feel different physically."

"Just give it time Elsa. You'll be in full bloom before you know it."

* * *

Anna decided to take Elsa to a little cafe on the waterfront that had a great view of the boats on the water. Even though it was the middle of January, she knew Elsa would want to sit outside and take in the atmosphere and this was just the place.

"I'm just going to get what I always get," folding the menu and placing it on the table.

"Elsa you can't get eggs Benedict. The eggs aren't fully cooked."

Elsa rolled her eyes at her embarrassment at forgetting all of the new food rules she had to obey. "Ugh I forgot. I can't just get whatever I feel like any more. See you in nine months my beloved eggs Benedict. And I guess I won't be getting coffee either. A small price to pay to become mommies."

Elsa had a slight frown on her face as her bottom lip puffed out a little.

"Hey if it makes you feel any better I won't get anything you can't have either." Elsa's frown melted into warm smile and she leaned across the table towards Anna.

"You're so good to me. Come here," reaching even further to kiss Anna, whose wandering eyes were still glancing at the menu.

"Oh look they have a breakfast sandwich. I'm definitely getting that!"

Elsa just adoringly laughed as she decided to just get what the redhead was having.

* * *

"I'm a little overwhelmed. Who would have thought there'd be so many books on pregnancy and childbirth?"

Elsa seemed to be only half listening as she skimmed the back of the books searching for the authors and titles on her list. "I'll find them, you hold them."

"Awwwww...I wanna get this one!" Anna pulled out a thick green baby book with a yellow ribbon and baby duckling on the cover.

"Look it has spaces for a photo for each month through the first year. And it has a page for first bath, first words, and...oh my gosh, Elsa, we have to get this!"

Elsa picked herself off the ground and glanced through the book. She smiled and they cooed together over all of the milestones they would get to experience. She stopped on the family tree page and the smile quickly fell away. Anna glanced up and saw Elsa's mouth tighten.

"Oh Elsa...it's okay. Don't... don't think about that now. We don't even have to fill that in if you don't want to."

A hand came up to comfortingly rub Elsa's arm. Neither of the girls had any family around that would be a part of their baby's life. Anna was an only child and her parents had died three years ago in a car accident. Elsa was also an only child but she had long cut ties with her family. It was a painful subject that she rarely talked about. In the end they just didn't understand her and she came to the conclusion that it was best not to have them in her life.

"It's okay...I'm okay, I just...don't know what I'm going to say. Our baby won't have any grandparents and I feel like it's partly because of me."

Elsa's eyes began to moisten and a single tear feel down her fair and flushed cheek. Anna took Elsa's face into her hand and pulled her close.

"Hey it's okay. It's just you and me. And well...now three. Not everybody has a picture perfect family. I love you and you love me and that's all that matters. Alright?"

Elsa sniffled and leaned her face into Anna's warm hand. Managing only a simple nod.

"Okay now come on. You have two more books to add to this massive pile. Let's get going."

* * *

Anna was already gone when Elsa woke up that morning. She had a long day of parent teacher conferences that started fairly early. The blonde made her way to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for work. She didn't have to be in until ten so she could take her time. It was a nice change of pace from the normally rushed mornings. Although it was a bit lonelier now without Anna around.

Elsa began to remove her clothes and place them in the hamper when she noticed something not right. She looked down to see a crimson spot staring back at her.

 _No, no, no!_

Panic struck Elsa like a lightning bolt and she checked her body to confirm where the blood had come from. _Oh god no!_ Her heart began to pound as she realized what was happening. She hadn't cleared the twelve week mark yet and knew that there was a 20% chance something could go wrong.

The blonde began gasping for air as her breath became shorter and more shallow. Her vision started to blur as she rushed through the house trying to find her phone and the piece of paper Dr. Kristoff Bjorgman had given her with emergency numbers on it. The paper shook in her trembling hand.

 _Breathe, breathe...just dial...focus_.

Elsa tried to block the nightmare of thoughts that were trying to flood her mind.

"This is Elsa Arendelle for Dr. Bjorgman. I'm eight weeks pregnant and I woke up bleeding this morning. I'm terrified something might be wrong."

The word _miscarriage_ shouted inside her head and she collapsed to the ground as the weight of the situation began to sink in.

"Please hold Mrs. Arendelle. I'll put the doctor on right away."

Elsa could barely hold the phone to her ear as her entire body was now shaking. _What am I going to tell Anna? This can't be happening. This can't be happening_.

"This is Dr. Bjorgman."

A slight wave of relief washed over Elsa. "This Elsa Arendelle. I woke up this morning with some bleeding and I'm really worried that something is wrong."

"Okay Elsa just take a deep breath. Are you having any cramping?"

"No. I felt perfectly fine when I woke this morning."

"Okay that's a good sign. Normally when we're concerned about miscarriage there's a lot of cramping. And how much bleeding are you having?"

"Just the spot and I can't tell if it's stopped or not."

"Alright, it sounds like baby's probably not in any danger but we'll have to let this play out. Just to ease your mind you could come in whenever you can and we can run a hormone level test. Usually progesterone will drop if the body is going to miscarry. If you can get someone to bring you in, that might be best. You sound a little too shaken up to be driving."

"Okay I'll come right in."

As soon as she hung up she called Anna. It pained her to have to tell her something might be wrong but she needed Anna now more than ever. Dr. Bjorgman had calmed her nerves somewhat but she was still plenty scared.

 _Please pick up. Please pick up Anna_.

"Elsa?" That was all it took to break whatever composure Elsa had left.

"Anna I woke up this morning with some bleeding. I was so scared I called the doctor and he said that because there's no cramping and not much bleeding it's probably nothing major. But I'm scared. I'm so scared! I can't stop it and I don't want to lose the baby."

She began to shake again as tears poured down, practically hyperventilating at this point.

"Elsa you have to calm down. Breathe. Breathe for the sake of the baby. This can't be good for it. I know you're scared but you have to calm your body."

"Okay. I'm trying. He said if I came in right away they could run my hormone levels just to be sure. I need you to come home. Please."

By now Anna had stepped out of her classroom and into the hallway as she glanced back at the parents seated at her desk.

"Yeah no problem. I'm on my way. Just hang on and get yourself ready to go. You can do this."

Elsa took a minute to gather herself. Curling her knees up to her chest and burying her head in her knees.

* * *

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Elsa. You're not cramping and the doctor didn't seem worried. It could be nothing."

Anna rubbed Elsa's leg with one hand while driving with the other. Both trying not to lose their heads and focus on just getting to the doctor's office.

"I know I just keep thinking about how much I love the baby already and I couldn't bare to lose this."

They finally made their way into Dr. Bjorgman's office and waited only a minute before the nurse called them back and lead them to a small lab room. After the blood draw they were told they would hear back in a few hours from the doctor.

"Now we just wait okay? Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

"I completely forgot to even tell anyone I wasn't coming in this morning."

"I'll take care of it. You just focus on you and baby. That's what important."

The emotional roller coaster of a morning had taken its toll on Elsa. She was exhausted and just wanted to crawl into bed with Anna.

"Go get in bed and I'll make some phone calls."

Elsa was so tired she didn't even remember changing her clothes and getting into bed. Next thing she knew Anna was curling up next to her.

"I called everyone and they understood. I just said you weren't feeling well and wouldn't be coming in today. And I rescheduled my conferences for tomorrow."

"Thank you Anna."

That was about all she could muster to say. Elsa lay on her side while Anna spooned behind her. The redhead couldn't help but reach around to rub Elsa's stomach. It really _didn't_ feel any different yet. No bump or even a swell but she knew the most precious thing in their lives was in there. Elsa hummed a sigh as the stress began to dissipate. Anna's touch could heal anyone. Her hands were so soft and loving. A few small kisses on Elsa's neck and a soft "I love you" whispered into her ear was all it took to lull Elsa to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh hi doctor Bjorgman. Bleary eyed and a bit disoriented, Anna had no idea how long they had been asleep. "Okay I'll tell Elsa. Thank you."

She hated to wake the sleeping blonde but Anna couldn't keep the news to herself. "Psst. Elsa. Wake up." She pushed against Elsa's shoulder as she slowly came to. "That was Dr. Bjorgman. Everything looks normal. He said about 25% of woman have unexplained bleeding in the first trimester. It could have been as simple as just overdoing it when you went to the gym the other day. But everything is fine."

"Thank goodness." The vice that had been around her heart since that morning began to unclench and she could finally just breathe.

"They scheduled you for an ultrasound in three days just to double check that there's no internal bleeding. Which means we get to see the baby on screen and hear the heartbeat! I bet we'll even get pictures. I mean they'll be in black and white and all fuzzy but, I'm excited now."

Elsa loved watching Anna talk herself into a tizzy and get all worked up. Anna plopped herself onto Elsa's lap. "You hear that baby. I'm going to get to see you in three days. Yes I am. Yes I _am_."

She shoved her head against Elsa stomach, tapping her finger against it as she spoke. Anna had already mastered the art of baby talk, as she was addressing the baby in such a manner. Elsa just smiled and watched as she held Anna's head closer to her. They were starting to feel like a family already.

* * *

 _Ultrasound day_. The thought replayed over and over in Elsa's head as she vigorously lathered her lavender scented shampoo into her thick mane. On the one hand she could hardly wait to see the little person she had been growing inside of her. Somehow it seemed like actually seeing the baby would help her understand that she really was _with_ child. And at the same time she was still reeling from the events from three days prior.

 _What if they find something wrong? What if the baby's not growing? What if_...

She continued to torment herself.

 _Relax. Everything is going to be fine. This is supposed to be a great day. Enjoy yourself. Anna's not worried and neither should you._

She glanced down at her stomach and smiled. It was funny how quickly she had become an overprotective and worrisome mother. The baby wasn't even here yet and she was wracked with worry over the smallest things. Every time she read something in one of her books or online she would ruminate about it, worrying if it could happen to her baby. Everything from failure to grow to anatomical deformations consumed Elsa's thoughts. Sometimes finally getting a baby after they'd wanted and tried for one for so long gave her a sick feeling that it was too good to be true. The wafting smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen caught her attention and offered a much need distraction. _Mmmm pancakes_!

Anna was busy cooking up a storm. She whirled around the kitchen like a cyclone cooking eggs on one pan and Mickey pancakes on another, while also trying to attempt to make some sort of green juice for Elsa in the juicer. Anna was so excited that it was all she could talk about once they sat down at the breakfast nook to eat.

"I wonder how big it is. I was reading that at this point it can look kind of weird on the ultrasound, like a manatee or weird alien thing, but I'm still so excited! Sorry, I know I keep saying that but I really am. Oh my gosh and the heartbeat! Can you imagine something that small has a heartbeat? I mean of course it would but you know what I mean. Sorry, I'm rambling."

Elsa laughed at Anna and continued to sip from a water bottle she was holding. Now that she was required to drink a minimum of ten glasses of water a day, Elsa pretty much had a water in her hand or within reach at all times. She had long finished her share of three Mickey pancakes and was now just being amused by Anna as she sat back in her chair.

"I'm excited too. But I'm enjoying watching you get worked up as well. You're so adorable when you're like this."

"Oh am I now?" A smirk formed on Anna's face.

"Yes. Positively adorable."

Anna glided her way over to Elsa's chair, flaunting her cuteness in the most flirtatious manner the entire way. Taking care of Elsa and becoming more protective of her had made it extremely difficult for Anna to control herself around the blonde.

"And did I happen to mention how beautiful you look this morning?"

"Un-uh."

Not that is wasn't true. Elsa was already the most gorgeous thing Anna had ever seen. But she also read that pregnant woman liked to be reminded how beautiful they looked. Especially since Elsa probably wasn't feeling all that hot lately.

"Well you are." Anna bent down in front of the chair and took Elsa's face in her hands and kissed her cheeks, alternating as she spoke.

"The most gracious (kiss), gorgeous (kiss), smartest (kiss), kindest (kiss), absolutely perfect..."

"Okay Anna." Elsa said playfully.

"Most beautiful mommy ever." Kissing Elsa on the lips this time.

"You alway know just what to say to make me smile. Come on, we're going to be late."

* * *

The waiting room at the ultrasound clinic had only heightened Anna's excitement. Everywhere they looked there were pregnant woman. Pregnant woman in photos and in art on the wall. Pregnant woman on the magazines. Pregnant woman waiting to be seen. Neither of them had seen so many pregnant woman in one room.

"This feel so real."

"It _is_ real. But I know what you mean. I can't believe we're finally here." Anna was now bouncing her knees up and down in an attempt to contain her elation.

"Yeah." Although Elsa was excited there was still a hint of fear in her voice.

"You okay?"

"I'm okay. I'm just really nervous. I just don't want to hear anything bad."

"It's been three days. I'm sure everything is fine. Just think about seeing and hearing our baby for the first time." Anna said assuringly.

"Arendelle."

Anna shot straight out of her seat yelling "here" as if they'd just called her name during roll call at school.

"Come with me please."

The room was one of the most calming Elsa had ever been in. There were what looked like stars being projected on part of the ceiling and a large plasma screen with mood lighting behind it on one of the walls. In the center of the room was a large ultrasound bed with a blanket and pillow placed neatly on top.

"This place is really nice. Dr. Bjorgman has good taste." Anna was instantly entranced by the stars.

"Yeah this is really pleasant actually. I feel like I'm at a spa."

"You don't need to take of any clothing, just roll up your shirt a little bit and tuck this towel into your waistband so you don't get your pants all gooey from the gel."

Anna was seated in a chair that she had scooted up to be as close to Elsa as possible.

"Look at all that stuff over there. There's so many buttons on that machine. It looks like the control room of a space ship or something."

Elsa looked at the ultrasound machine and felt herself heart start beating rather rapidly. As if every button was there for the sole purpose of finding something wrong. Before she could get lost in her thought, a large burley man came into the room.

"Hello! I'm Oaken and I'll being doing your ultrasound today. You must be the new mommies to be. Hello mommies."

He shook each other their hands with a bear paw like shake.

"Let's get started shall we. I'm just going to put some of this jelly on your tummy and then we can see what your baby looks like."

Elsa braced herself for the uncomfortable feeling of goo all over her but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was rather warm and oddly soothing. "Okay now lets find your peanut shall we."

Oaken lightly pushed the transducer onto Elsa's abdomen and began to slowing glide it around. Elsa quickly jumped and squirmed while letting out a flurry of giggles.

"Ohhh...somebody is ticklish!"

"Yes! Yes I am. I'm sorry."

"I'll lighten up on the pressure a bit. Okay dear."

Anna was now squeezing Elsa's hand, leaning forward and staring intently at the screen. All they could see was a black circle surrounded by some white.

"Okay dear now this here is your uterus. The white part is the lining and the black is amitotic fluid that the baby is in. And...there it is."

On the screen was what looked like a tiny pudgy outline of a baby.

"Awwww oh my god...that's our baby."

"It's so small." Elsa tilted her head like a small puppy as she tried to process just what she was seeing.

"Oh my gosh I can't believe this. It's beautiful." Elsa started to sit up so she could get a better look until Oaken reminded her to stay lying down. "I can't believe that's inside of me. Wow! This is amazing."

"Elsa it's moving a little."

"Yeah they can move the arms and feet a little but that's about it. Everything looks good so far. It's normal for first time mommies to be nervous. You just care so much so quickly you know. I'm just going to take some measurements."

"Elsa this is crazy. See everything is fine."

"You were right. Everything is perfect. Look at that. Now I know why they call it a miracle. That's in there. I can't get over it. It's the cutest thing I think I've ever seen."

Elsa held her hand over mouth in an attempt to hold back some of her emotions. She couldn't believe something this wonderful was happening to her. Besides Anna, this was the second time in her life that she felt she was getting more than she deserved. Life had not always treated Elsa kindly but maybe things were changing.

"Looks like baby is measuring just over eight weeks, so perfectly normal. Would you like to hear the heartbeat now?"

"YES!" Both at the same time.

"Okay here we go."

Both of them sat perfectly still waiting in suspense. The sound of the heartbeat was so loud Elsa could have sworn a herd of horses had stampeded through the room.

"Wow it's so strong."

"Strong and healthy my dear! About 155 beats per minutes."

"Wow that's so fast." Elsa said in sheer amazement.

"Very healthy. Everything look really good."

Oaken could sense that Elsa needed a lot of reassuring. Elsa let out a huge sigh and let herself soak up the overwhelming bliss she was experiencing. It was almost as if the sound of the heartbeat had blasted away any fears she had been holding on to. Oaken then proceeded to print out a few photos to take with them, as well as a DVD with a recording of the session.

"Bring this in anytime you come for an ultrasound and we'll put the photos and video to the DVD. I'll see you in a few weeks."

"This is awesome!"Anna grabbed the DVD from Oaken as Elsa had already snatched the photos from him.

Elsa held the long strip of photos in her hand as she lovingly scanned over each one. "Anna I'm going to need to go frame shopping after this because this needs to be on my desk."

"Anything you want Elsa."


	4. Chapter 4

The piercing sound of the alarm rang in their ears as the start of another Monday began. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Elsa to get up in the morning as the days passed. Normally she was an early riser who was up at the crack of dawn, making coffee and getting ready while Anna slept in until the very last possible minute.

"Come on Anna you can't be late today. Don't you have that field trip to the science center today?"

Elsa jostled Anna's arm in an attempt to keep her from drifting back to slumberland.

"Ugh I forgot." A whole day with thirty first graders running around all day was not something the redhead was looking forward to.

After showering and doing her hair, which in itself took over a half an hour to dry and style, she made her way into their walk-in closet to begin the endless task of finding something to wear. Elsa's side of the closet was filled with sharp tailored pant suits, colorful work dresses, and racks of delectable shoes. Being one of the more prominent women at her architectural firm obligated her to dress the part of a successful woman, whereas Anna could get away with more casual clothing as a teacher. These days it was less about what looked good than what was comfortable. Even though Elsa hadn't gained a single pound, everything was starting to feeling horribly uncomfortable. Anything with wool or cashmere drover her crazy with itching now. Pants and waistlines had become increasingly tight. And dresses were out since it was the middle of winter. Caught somewhere between self-pity and anger, Elsa was now trying on her third pair of pants when Anna saw that she was starting to get frustrated.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing fits me! I mean it fits, it's just that everything feels so uncomfortable." Her tone now had the sound of toddler headed for a tantrum.

"Well maybe we need to go shopping for maternity clothes or something. You need clothes to wear to work and you can't be uncomfortable all the time."

Elsa stopped cursing her pants and flashed Anna a look of confused irritation. "Maternity clothes? I haven't even gained any weight. The baby's only the size of a grape. How could I possibly need maternity clothes so soon?"

"You'd have plenty of time to grow into them and it sounds like you might be at an in between phase that you're going to have to get through." That was exactly what it was. An in between phase. Too big for her old clothes but not big enough for maternity clothes.

"Just figure out something for today and we'll get something new after work."

Elsa reached for her loosest fitting outfit; a heather colored straight leg pants suit from Banana Republic. Her old standby outfit for the week after Thanksgiving and Christmas, or basically any other time she skipped the gym and vegged out. Anna glanced over at Elsa, admiring the way the outfit hugged every curve of Elsa's body.

"Wow, so pants were too uncomfortable but heels are fine?"

"You know me. Me and my heels are not separating any time soon. I love them. Plus it helps when I can look the guys at my firm in the eye instead of being talked down too."

Elsa was trying to make partner at her firm and needed all the help she could get to play with the big boys.

"Yes but do they have to be bright red?"

"It's called a pop of color my dear Anna."

"Hey I'm not complaining. I just never thought about that fact that you're going to be one of those hot moms. I can see you now, pushing the stroller in Jimmy Choos."

"Well thank you." Elsa blushed and smiled shyly. Being told she was beautiful wasn't something new to her but she never allowed herself to become vain about it. The two women scurried out the door and dashed towards their cars.

"Love you, have a great day!" With just enough time for a quick kiss. They always made sure to never be in too much of a hurry to leave that out.

"You too. Text me if you're going to be late."

* * *

Elsa sat at her desk and decided to take a few minutes to gather herself while her computer booted up. Oddly enough Elsa's office was in a building that she helped design. Her speciality was glass structures and she was one of the best in her field. She'd never be so bold to tell anyone just how good she really was but everyone around her knew she had a gift. She could envision things others couldn't and she had an obsessive flare for detail. She gracefully twirled her chair around to face the wall length window overlooking the water and mountains in the far off distance. The sun was rising over the clouds, radiating an orange glow over an ominous grey fog. The view of the water was one of Elsa's favorite things about her office. Even on bad days she could just stare out her window and imagine her worries drifting out to sea. She was brought back to reality by the sound of her Mac turning on. She had a good fifteen minutes before her first meeting began. There would actually be some time to enjoy the tumbler of chamomile Anna has steeped for her before she left the house. She was pitching some concept designs to a client from Dubai who had sought her out specifically for her style. Elsa was startled for a brief second when she her a rhythmic knocking at her door.

"Hey honey how was your weekend?"

"Hey Tiana, it was great. Anna and I just had a lazy weekend around the house and caught up on things."

The thought of lying to people made Elsa uneasy but it was too early to share the news with work yet. Besides she was dreaded telling her old curmudgeon of a boss that she would be taking maternity leave right in the middle of an important project that was going up around the time she was due.

"How about you?"

"Oh we went up to the mountains and went snowboarding. Naveen can't get enough it this year."

There was an awkward moment of silence. Tiana didn't know any better but Elsa was having a hard time thinking about something to say when all she was focusing on was what not to say.

"You know I've been meaning to ask you, and I know I shouldn't but I'm just so excited, how your last round of in vitro went?"

And then all at once the gears in Elsa's head jammed as she scrabbled to think of something to say. _Just say it didn't take. But then she'll be feeling sorry for me for another month. Just tell her. It's just one person. Maybe she won't tell._

"Uh...well...we're still trying. But it's looking more promising now."

"Oh good. How'd Anna taking everything?"

"Better than you'd expect. But you know Anna. She bounces back pretty well."

The tightness of her pants was causing Elsa to squirm in her seat. She ran her thumb along the waistband, hoping to elevated some of the discomfort.

"You okay? You seem a little off today."

"Off, no. Why would you think that?"

"Because you seem to have ants in your pants or something."

"I think I just need to have these pants altered is all. I think Anna might washed them instead of taking them to the cleaners again."

"Huh. I see." Tiana pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. It was painfully obvious Elsa was hiding something and she wasn't about to leave without finding out.

"What?"

"Nothing. You were just _very_ smiley a second ago when I asked you about the in vitro. Normally you're much gloomier after a failed round. You don't have that Eeyore thing going on today."

 _Oh God...I can't keep this in. She already knows. Just tell her._

"Do you have something to tell me? I can see by the look on your face that _something is_ going on Elsa Arendelle."

"Fine. Shut the door."

Tiana gave a gentle push to the door behind her and walked towards Elsa's desk with her hands folded across her chest. Elsa was so hot she felt like she would break into a sweat at any moment. Her hands were already clamming up and she wiped the repeatedly against the sides of her thighs.

"Okay look..." about to utter words she hadn't said to another soul in her life. Elsa pushed away from her desk and bit her lip as she stared at the floor contemplating just how she wanted to word this. A huge smile spread across her face and she looked up at Tiana.

"I'm two months pregnant."

Tiana gasped so loudly that Elsa thought she might actually pass out. "Oh my lord I knew it!"

"Shhhhh...keep it together. You're in a room with a lot of windows and everyone can see you."

Tiana breathed deeply trying to calm herself. She was even fanning her hand near her face as if she was trying to cool down.

"It was too hard to keep it in. I didn't even make it five minutes. But it's okay to tell you early, being that you would be there for me if I had to...un tell you. If you know what I mean. But you cannot tell a single person in this entire building. And that goes for Naveen too. He's a talker Tiana." Elsa was giving Tiana her serious boss-lady look.

"I won't I promise. Oh my God Elsa, you're having a baby. No wonder why your pants don't fit!"

Elsa couldn't help but laugh as she was now a little embarrassed about having to lie about everything earlier.

"Here, I know something that will help. Do you have a hair band? What am I saying, you have more hair than anyone else I know. Of course you do. Get one out."

Elsa reached into her draw and pulled out a hair band from a neatly pilled stack next to some bobby pins and handed it to Tiana.

"Okay now unbutton your pants."

"Wait what?"

"Just trust me."

"Hold on wait. I'm going to need to draw the privacy shades for this." Elsa picked up a sleek and small remote and pushed a button that sent two shades cascading down the sides of her office.

"You're so fancy pants with your fancy office. Okay now unbutton your pants."

Not really sure where this was going Elsa did as was she was told. Tiana took the hair band and secured it with a loop to the eye of Elsa's button and then twisted it before securing it around the button itself.

"There. That ought to give you an extra couple of inches. And just button your blazer and you won't even see it."

"That feel so much better! How on earth did you know to do that?"

"My cousin has two kids and I remember her saying how uncomfortable she was and not being big enough to fit into maternity clothes so she did this. Actually I think they sell waistband expanders for pregnant woman, but his is so much cheaper."

"You just saved me from an entire day of clothing hell. Lunch is on me today alright."

"That's sounds fair. Especially since you were going to keep this baby news from me. Good thing you weren't very good at hiding it because I'm so happy for you now."

"Me too."

* * *

"This is the place you wanted to go to right?"

Elsa and Anna were standing outside of a posh maternity store inside the mall. Several manikins, all with baby bumps, wearing fitted dresses and office attire lined the widows of the store.

"Yeah this is the one." Elsa smiled as she looked inside and saw at least ten things she liked already.

"But it's so fancy." Elsa just raised her eyebrows and gave Anna a smirk. "Right, look who I'm talking to. Okay let's do this. Let operation mommy clothes commence."

They were immediately stopped by a short and perky woman upon entering the store.

"Hello ladies. Is there anything I can help you find today? Are we shopping for yourself or a friend...?"

"Oh...oh her. _She's_ pregnant. _We're_ having a baby." _Happy lady?_

"Oh great! Congratulations. You look fabulous."

"Thank you. I'm only ten weeks along so I'm sure you can't even tell. Anyways my clothes are starting to feeling very constricting, especially at work, so I'm looking for something I can wear to work and grow into. I guess. I'm not really sure. This our first baby."

"Well from the looks of you you're probably going to want to take a look at the suiting department for a start. Why don't you ladies have a seat and we'll get started. Follow me."

"A seat?" Anna had never been to a store where they brought the clothes to you instead of finding them on your own."

"Relax. You'll be fine." Elsa assured.

Anna always got a little uncomfortable in places that were what she called "hoity toity." It tended to bring out the awkward side of her. The sales lady lead them to a small seating area surrounded by rather large dressing rooms. Just like at the ultrasound clinic there were pregnancy and parenting magazines on the large table next to the couch.

"I'm sorry I didn't get your names."

"Elsa."

"Oh hi I'm Anna." Anna waved at her and emphatically.

"Alright Elsa. There's a robe inside the dressing that you can put on and while you're getting changed you can tell me what you're looking for."

Elsa slipped inside the dressing room and found a light blue silk robe inside. "So I'm looking for suits. Obviously. But also dresses, jeans, some shirts, oh and a swimsuit."

Anna perked up and confusingly looked at the door to the dressing room. "A swimsuit? For what it's winter?"

"I know but I'm too afraid to go back to the gym and do my normal routine after what happened and I was reading that walking and swimming are the best exercises to do when you're pregnant. There's a gym with a pool in the building across from work so I thought I try it out. Sorry I was going to tell you but I just hadn't had a chance to."

"Oh yeah no...it's fine. You've just never been much of a swimmer is all."

The sales lady had already left to gather some things for Elsa to try on. Giving the two a moment alone.

"Oh my God Anna. This is too funny. I have to show you this."

"What?"

"Hold on, I'll show you."

When the dressing room door flung open, Anna couldn't help admire how nice Elsa looked in the robe but gasped when she saw an enormous baby bump underneath it.

"Wha- what is that. Did you go in time machine in there and go to nine months from now?"

"It's a bump you can velcro on, I guess to see how the clothes will fit as the baby gets bigger. Anna I'm going to get this big. Oh my God. This is huge."

Both were now laughing at each other's reactions like children.

"Elsa that's awesome. I'm taking a picture hold on." Anna got out her phone and proceeded to try and get the best angle.

"Wait...wait...Elsa do one where you looked shocked or something."

"Why?"

"Just do it it'll be funny."

Elsa always got caught up in Anna's shenanigans. She couldn't help it. Anna just made everything so much more fun and it forced Elsa out of her comfort zone. Elsa did her best to give a shocked look and put her hand up to her mouth.

"Yes that's hilarious. You're such a good sport."

"Okay your turn." Elsa undid the bump and handed it to Anna.

"My turn what? With the bump?"

"Yeah I want see what you'd look like. I mean I understand if you don't want to. I just thought it would be fun."

"Yeah here let me see it." Anna lifted up her shirt and secured the belly onto her torso.

"Awww oh my gosh you look so cute. Now I want a photo."

"No don't take a photo cause if I see it it'll just make me sad."

"Oh Anna. I'm sorry. This was a bad idea. I just really wanted to see what you'd look like pregnant because you're always telling me how beautiful I'm going to look and I just wanted to see you like that for a change."

"It's okay. I just...I don't know. It's still hard. But I'm happy _now_. Can we just focus on you here? I don't want to feel sad about this. This is supposed to be fun."

"Hi ladies sorry to interrupt but I have some stuff for you to try on."

Anna looked at the enormous pile of clothes the lady was holding.

"We're gonna be here a while aren't we?"

"Yes. But I love you." Batting her eyes as if Elsa was thanking Anna for being patient.

After dozens of pants suits and pencil skirts, Elsa finally made it to the swimsuit part of the evening. The sales lady had brought over three different suits and apologized for not having more since they weren't in season. Elsa went with the dark blue tankini since she figured it would give her a little bit more coverage. It was a bonus that it came in her favorite color.

"This one is meant to go up to the end of the third trimester, so it will stretch as you get bigger. You can try the bump on later to see how it fits now versus later."

Elsa tiptoed out of the dressing room, knowing Anna wouldn't pass up a chance to see her in a swimsuit.

"What do you think?"

Anna looked at Elsa from the bottom up and tried to remind herself that she was in a maternity store and had to behave. Elsa had the most slender legs and arms that would rival any ballerina. Her hair was still in the braid she wore to work but she had it over her left shoulder, simply to drive Anna mad because she knew it was one of her best and Anna's favorite features.

"Anna say something."

"Uh... yeah...that looks amazing. Maybe you could try it on again when we get home."

" _Anna_. We're in the middle of a store mind you. So we're getting it?" The blonde smiled coyly.

"It would be a crime not to Elsa."

Elsa quickly walked towards the fiery redhead and put her hands on the armrests

of Anna's chair and delicately whispered in her best _come hither_ voice.

"And yes I'll try this on again at home."


	5. Chapter 5

"Gumbo night starts at eight and I told Tiana we'd be there early to help set up."

Anna was rummaging through her purse making sure she had everything before they left the house, waiting for Elsa who was finishing her make up upstairs.

"I'm almost done I promise."

She was busy applying her lip liner, delicately tracing the thin curves before filling them in with a dark red colored lipstick and adding a bit of luster with some gloss. She may have been feeling like a hot mess but she certainly wasn't going to let herself look like one. Normally Elsa would spritz herself with some sort of fragrance or perfume before going out, but her sense of smell was boarding on that of a wolf these day. Not only had Elsa forgone any sort of scent but Anna had as well, now that it was almost a form of repellant.

"We're going to be late!" Anna was shouting up the stairs hoping Elsa would start descending any second.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Elsa quickly grabbed a black pea coat, that still felt comfortable, and scurried out the bedroom and down the stairs.

"Okay I'm ready. Let's go."

"You look great! I texted Tiana and told her we were running a bit late. And reminded her not to mention baby."

Since they didn't know the gender, Anna had pretty much taken to calling the baby "baby," as if that were its name.

"You okay, you look a little flush?" Anna's face had a look of slight concern.

"I think so. My stomach has been kind of weird. I'll be okay. I've made us late enough already."

"Okay then lets move. We're taking your car but I'm driving."

"Please go slow this time Anna. We have a baby on board now."

"I know but I like fast! But just for baby I will keep within reason."

"Thank you. It's very considerate."

They rushed out the front door and headed down the long driveway. A thunderbolt of nausea struck Elsa so quickly that she immediately stopped in the middle of the driveway and doubled over.

"Elsa! Oh my God what's wrong?" Anna ran over and began to rub Elsa's back.

"I don't know I just don't feel good all of the sudden."

The feeling was so overwhelming that Elsa had to shut her eyes and focus just to stay upright. A slight feeling of panic induced by the disorientation started to spread throughout her body.

"Here let's sit down on the steps for minute. Can you make it there?"

"I think I need to go back inside. Everything feels like it's spinning."

"Okay let's go back in then. Here just lean against me."

Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa and guided her back inside. She was headed towards the couch when Elsa just decided to lay down right on the entryway rug. Ironically in the fetal position.

"Wow that just came on all the sudden. This is so strange. Do you need me to get you anything? I feel so helpless because I'm not quite sure what's going on."

"That makes two of us. I think I just need to lay her for a second."

"Okay I'll get you some water just incase. Do you think you're going to throw up?" Anna's nose wrinkled at the thought of that actually happening.

"I don't know. I just feel dizzy."

"Okay just breathe. I'll be right back okay."

Elsa had started to breathe but was sounding like she was already in labor. _What perfect timing. Right as I'm heading out the door._ Anna returned with a glass of water and their "What to Expect When Expecting" book to try and figure out what more to do. She set the water near Elsa's head as her hands were currently being used to cradle her stomach, and sat flush up against Elsa's back while she flipped through the book. A few minutes passed and Elsa was beginning to feel some relief. The vertigo was starting to subside and her breathing began to return to a normal rhythm. She still felt awful but the world wasn't spinning out of control now.

"I think it may be morning sickness. Which actually can happen at any time of the day, or so the book says. It can come on gradually or suddenly. I guess you have the suddenly kind. It also says that ginger, mint, citrus, or sour candy may alleviate some of the discomfort. Do any of those sound good?"

"Um..." At the moment nothing sounded good but if it meant an end to her misery Elsa would be willing to try just about anything.

"Citrus or sour candy sound good. The other one (she couldn't even say the word 'ginger' without feeling like she was going to be sick), sounds awful."

Anna's eyes rolled up to her right as she tried to remember what they had in the kitchen. "I think we have some lemons and strawberries. I think I might have some Sour Patch Kids in my work bag."

"Of course you would. I think I'll try the candy."

Anna took the stairs two steps at a time and ran to the closet to fetch the candy from her bag. She smiled as she briskly walked back holding the bag of colorful sugary candy. Elsa wasn't big on sweets so it was a nice change of pace to see her practically begging for some.

"Here we go. Eat these and see if they help." Anna grabbed ahold of Elsa's arm and helped to sit against a nearby wall. "Feel free to eat the rest of the bag. I have another one in my car."

Elsa's let out a chuckle as she began to suck on the candy. "You have the worst sweet tooth Anna. But I'm really thankful for it now." Elsa's face began to pucker and her eyes squeezed shut as the sourness of the candy began to zap her tastebuds.

"Too sour? You can just spit it out." Anna held her hand out below Elsa's mouth to catch the candy.

"No, no. This is actually helping." She had only started with one but shoved a small handful of them in the second she finished her first piece.

"Whoa Elsa, pace yourself. You're going to make it feel like a Warhead."

"Oh my God do we have any?" Suddenly she felt like Warheads were the antidote to all her problems.

"No. But I could go get some."

"I don't know how but this is working. I think if I eat these on the way to buy something more sour, I could make it to Tiana's."

"Wait Elsa, we do not have to go anywhere. I can just call and tell Tiana what happened. She already knows about baby, she'll understand."

"No, I got all ready and I want to go out. Who knows how many chances we'll get to go out or see friends for that matter after the baby comes."

"If you're sure."

"Positive. Just help me up." Anna took hold of Elsa's hands and pulled her up. A move she'd be perfecting over time as Elsa was going to need more and more help getting up. "Alright. I have my sour candy, my bag, I'm ready. Let's roll."

* * *

Elsa spent her entire Saturday battling morning sickness. She had hoped the first time was just a one time thing but was sorely mistaken. Once she got to Tiana's she felt great, better than before they left. It didn't even bother her or Anna that they had to spend to whole night making sure Tiana didn't accidentally let the cat out of the bag. Elsa also regained her appetite and had three bowls of Gumbo. Anna had remarked that they had reached a point in their relationship where Elsa was now out eating her. But by the following morning the nausea had returned and she'd eaten the last of the sour candy they bought the night before. Elsa couldn't even set foot out of bed and pulled the covers over her head. Anna stayed by her side, on hold with Dr. Bjorgman, and stroked the side of Elsa's face, combing back her fair strands of hair.

"Poor thing. I'll go and get some more Warheads after I get off the phone. And anything else you want." Elsa couldn't even nod a yes without fearing she'd vomit.

Dr. Bjorgman had given Anna a list of things for Elsa to try. Anna hurried to the store and filled half a cart with remedies. She ran back up the stairs as soon as she got home and burst through the bedroom door. Elsa was in the exact same position she was in when Anna left. Head under the covers with one leg peeking out.

"Okay I have saltines, ginger ale, homeopathic stuff, vitamins, preggie-pops, raspberry leaf tea, candy, apple juice, peppermint..."

Anna continued to rattle off the items until Elsa popped her head out from under the covers and sat up out of curiosity.

"What's a preggie-pop?" She asked.

"It's a special sour candy made just for morning sickness."

Elsa quickly held out her hand. "Gimmie!"

"Yeah here let me just get it open." Anna struggled with the plastic seal that covered the top of the tub. Once she peeled that off she again struggled to pry the top off of the container. Finally the top released only to have every single individually wrapped candy fly all over the bed like a pinata that had just been whacked open. Elsa didn't even seemed phased by the explosion of candy and grabbed the one nearest to her and popped it in her mouth.

"What else?"

"Um...lemons, popsicles, and chocolate. Which was more for me but if it sounds good please help yourself."

"Maybe just a square." Elsa could never say no chocolate. "The raspberry tea sounds good too."

"I will go make it then. You just stay here, get some rest, and let me cater to your every need."

Elsa scrunched back down under the covers as Anna gave her a kiss on the forehead. Anna continued to take care of her little patient throughout the day. Whatever Elsa wanted, she got. The blonde never ended up getting out of bed that day. She alternated sleeping with bouts of nausea, never changing out of her pajamas.

* * *

Elsa awoke the next morning to find the other side of the bed empty. The room was completely drenched in sunlight and Elsa surmised it must be midmorning. She rolled over to her nightstand to read the clock; _ten-thrity, that's a first._ Feeling somewhat better than the day before, she put on her teal cotton robe and headed downstairs to find Anna. She roamed from room to room but there was no redhead to be seen. The sound of distant music caught her ear as she passed by the French doors leading out to the backyard. She had to look twice but when she did she spied Anna sitting in a comfy patio chaise lounge, twitching her feet along to the music blasting from through her earphones. Elsa made her way outside and strolled across the deck, sitting on the end of Anna chaise lounge. Elsa suddenly came into Anna's line of sight and her face lit up.

"Hey look who's feeling better." Anna pulled out her earphones and set them next to her phone.

"Thanks to my wonderful nurse."

"I do what I can. It's such a beautiful day out. It was so warm I decided to come sit outside for a while and enjoy it while it lasts." Anna shrugged a little and then bit her bottom lip as she waited for Elsa to respond. A silence fell upon them as they took a moment to just stare into each other's eyes.

"I feel like I've been so consumed with all of the new changes these past few weeks that I haven't gotten to really look at you."

Anna didn't say anything but just blushed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing Elsa to just drink in the sight of her.

"I want to do something for _you_ today. Whatever you want. You've been so good to me and I feel like I've been neglecting you."

Anna shook her head. "You're not neglecting me. I don't feel neglected. I mean, you're pregnant. We're having a baby and this is part of the journey. But it would be nice to just spent some quality time together."

"Excellent. So where can I whisk you away to today?" Elsa had a sassy smirk on her face, leaning closer to Anna. "Provided we bring an arsenal of stuff in case my morning sickness rears its ugly head again."

"Hmm...let me think." Anna was looking up and tapping her finger to her mouth, deep in thought. Elsa had decided that Anna was just too far away and began to creep up along the chaise lounge and cuddle Anna into her arms.

"This is distracting Elsa. A good distraction but now I'm having a harder time thinking."

Elsa nuzzled her nose in between the collar of Anna's robe and her neck, kissing each and every freckle she could find. "I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not." Taking her long slender fingers and pulling Anna's robe to the side to get better access.

"Oh wait...I know where I want to go!"

"Where?" Elsa's voiced was muffled, her face partially covered by Anna's robe as her lips wandered the redheads increasingly flushed skin.

"The art museum. They have a couple new exhibits that we haven't seen yet."

"That sounds like a great idea. And we can get lunch there too." Elsa now had to plan her days around where and when to eat as she was getting hungrier with each passing day.

"Great! I'm going to go get ready." Anna jumped up and wasn't able to get even one step away when Elsa grabbed her by the waist and pulled back down.

"Wait a minute. I wasn't finished with you."

"Oh yes, continue please. By all means."

Elsa had really been longing for some more intimate time with Anna, but she also wanted to shower her with some affection for a change. Elsa picked up where she left off and began kissing a trail down from Anna's ear to her prominent collarbone. Her hand began to move down Anna's side and tucked itself between the small of her back and the chair as she pulled her closer.

"Mmmm...this is nice." Anna purred. Elsa brought herself back up to meet the redhead's teal-blue eyes, her thumb rhythmically stroking against Anna's back as she straddled over her with a bent knee on each side of Anna's hips.

"I love you and just want you to know how much you mean to me. How much I appreciate everything." She didn't give the redhead a chance to respond before capturing Anna's soft and warm lips between her own, cradling Anna's heart shaped face in her hands. One gentle kiss lead to a series of longer, more needy ones until Elsa flinched slightly.

"You okay?" Without breaking her stride Elsa pressed another kiss to Anna.

"Mhmm."

The redhead turned slightly so that two were now laying side by side, knowing that Elsa probably wasn't going to feel comfortable laying on her stomach if she were to lay on top of Anna. The two intertwined their legs and Elsa's feet began to play footsie with Anna's. The redhead began to lose herself in the moment and tiled her head slightly to deepen their kiss. Unable to control her body, Elsa flinched again.

"Elsa, what's the matter?" The blonde pulled away, looked down and shook her head. She cringed at her own embarrassment at what she was about to say. "Elsa what is it?" "I'm sorry. Uh God...I'm so sorry. I have to throw up." Elsa quickly ran back inside as Anna looked to see a flash of blonde hair bolt in the direction of the downstairs bathroom. _That is by far the worst reaction I've had to someone kissing me. Ever._


	6. Chapter 6

Anna felt like she could not have picked a better day to head to the art museum. They had a special exhibition featuring Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cézanne, some of Anna's favorites. Elsa also loved art but it was Anna who really loved the story each piece told. She would stare at a painting for hours and just get lost in it. Elsa on the other hand would tend to have more of an appreciation for the artist's technique or use of color. They were almost done making their way through the exhibit when Elsa found Anna had wondered off to Van Gogh's _Starry Night Over the Rhone._

"Look at those deep blues. I love when artists make a scene look dark without using black. It looks so much richer." Elsa smiled and she came to stand next to Anna. The painting featured a dark night sky filled with stars overlooking a couple who were standing near a bay filled with boats.

"Yeah but look at that couple. They look scared. The stars look so happy but I can't figure out what it is they're afraid of." Anna said, mesmerized by the pair.

"I don't know. But I love the way the starlight is reflected off the water."

They moved on to the last painting, a still life of onions by Cézanne.

"I don't know about you but this one makes me hungry. I'm so ready for lunch." Anna could hear her stomach growling.

"Anna you know I'm always ready to eat these days."

They headed to a small cafe downstairs and ordered more food than they could eat. " I'm so full I feel like I could take a nap right here." Anna rubbed her stomach and groaned.

"It's a funny thing you say that because I have a surprise for you.''

Anna's face resembled a child on Christmas morning. "A surprise?! Oh I love your surprises! What is it?" Anna was clapping her hands in anticipation as she bit her lip with wide eyes waiting for Elsa to blow her mind.

"Do you want a hint or do you want me to just tell you?" Elsa loved to tease but Anna didn't have much patience for guessing games.

"Just tell me. Do I get it today? Right now?" She was about to bounce out her chair.

"Settle down feisty pants. I'll tell you. We're not going home right now. In fact, we're not going home until tomorrow."

Anna was excited and puzzled at the same time. "Wait what? I don't get it."

Elsa realized she was going to have to say it bluntly. "I got us a room at the fancy hotel down the street. On the water, it has a giant bathtub, and we can have room service any time you want." Elsa expected Anna to be excited but she didn't expect Anna to scream.

"Oh my God, really? When? I wanna go now! But wait I don't have any of my stuff."

Elsa's face gleamed with confidence. Did Anna think she really didn't think this whole thing through?

"I packed you a bag. Although I don't think you'll be needing much clothing anyways." Elsa said smirkingly, batting her sapphire eyes.

Anna pumped her first. "Yes, sexy hotel vacation!"

Anna loved hotel rooms. Not only did they turn her on for some reason but she loved the tiny shampoo bottles and coffee machine. It was like having their own little apartment.

"Something like that. I just figure I'm only going to get bigger from here on out and I don't know what lies ahead so we might as well have some 'quality time' as you put it before I'm not in the mood or get too big or I don't know."

"Yeah yeah, when can we go?"

"Oh um...it's four so we can actually go now if you want."

"Yes pleeeease, hurry hurry hurry."

* * *

Elsa was right. The hotel was fancy but more modern than stuffy. The lobby was a mix of dark blues and beiges with splashes of geometric patterns on the walls and furniture.

"I wanted something that was nice and comfortable but different. I know that too fancy can make you uncomfortable so I hope you like it."

Anna was twirling around trying to take in the ambiance of the lobby. "I love it. It's so different but really pretty at the same time."

Elsa went to check in while Anna continued to explore.

"Hi, checking in for Arendelle."

A sharp looking young man greeted her and handed her a fresh glass of water with two slices of cucumber in it. "Welcome Ms. Arendelle. I have you booked for the ocean front premiere room is that correct."

"Yes that's correct."

"Alright, here are your keys, a map of the area, and your key to the concierge lounge. Just go up to the 16th floor and it will be on you left. Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you. Anna are you ready?"

Anna was curiously looking at a curvy piece of decor she held in her hands. "Yes! What's the whatever lounge?" She quickly set the bobble back on the side table.

"Oh it's a floor that has a sitting area with snacks, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres. Stuff like that." Elsa swooped her arm around Anna's and lead them towards the elevator.

"We are definitely checking that out later."

With the matching overnight bags Elsa had packed that morning slung over their shoulders, they stepped out of the elevator and winded their way down several hallways before finding their room. Anna let out a huge gasp upon entering.

"Oh my gosh this is so nice. Wait, rose petals?" Elsa smiled, hoping Anna didn't think it was too much. "I just wanted to make it special." The blonde said shyly.

"This is the best surprise ever Elsa! You've always had such great taste. This is soooo nice. Thank you."

She had calmed down a little now after realizing she was paying more attention to the gorgeous hotel room than the gorgeous blonde with the bedroom eyes in front of her.

"Do you want to unpack first?" That's not what Elsa really wanted to do but she didn't want to just jump right into things either.

"Can we just lay down as listen to some music or something? I feel like I need to unwind a little after all the excitement. And that bed looks amazingly comfortable."

"Yeah of course." Elsa slipped off her shoes and crawled on top of the bed with Anna.

"Some of these pillows need to go first."

There were four large down pillows underneath what seemed like hundreds of smaller decorative ones. Each of them started to throw the pillows off the bed like it was some sort of race.

"This is crazy. Who has this many pillows on a bed?" Elsa laughed at Anna's adorableness.

"I think it looks nice but there's just too many."

Anna laid down first and held her arms open for Elsa to curl up in. They held each other as if they had just reunited at the airport after a long trip.

"Mmmm this feels good." Anna hummed.

"Mhmmm. I feel so safe when you hold me. Really it's like every worry just flies out of my head."

The bed was so comfortable Elsa tried to ward off any thoughts of falling asleep. Anna grabbed a nearby remote for the stereo and looked at the satellite radio guide on her nightstand.

"What do you feel like listening to?"

"Something soothing."

"How about soft hits, channel 43?"

"Fine with me."

The music began to fill the room and they could both feel the tension releasing in each other.

"Thank you for taking me to the art museum. And for this. I really wasn't feeling neglected but I did feel like I wasn't getting enough 'us' time."

Anna was propped on her elbow leaning over and playing with a necklace that hung around Elsa's neck.

"I love this necklace. Tell me the story behind it again." Anna held the simple silver snowflake charm, feeling its smoothness between her fingertips.

"There's not really a story. I bought in Norway and it reminds me of home. I paid for it with my own money from my first job after college and that made it even more special."

"I like it. I looks like you. You know, reminds me of you. Do you ever think you'll go back to visit? Ever?"

Elsa let out a forceful breath and rolled her eyes. "I don't know. Not in the near future. Can we not talk about that? I want to focus us not the past."

Elsa usually reacted this way when Anna brought up anything from Elsa's past but could never satiate her curiosity to know more.

"Yeah I understand. Sorry. We're supposed to be relaxing." Anna reminded herself.

"Actually I've had enough relaxing. I don't think I could be any more relaxed."

Anna couldn't tell if Elsa was upset or was just actually done relaxing. Whatever that meant. She quickly understood what Elsa meant when she watched the blonde sit up and abruptly take her sweater off in one swift motion. Revealing a black lace bra that seemed like it was painted onto her contrasting translucent skin.

"Wow I would not have guessed that's what was under that sweater. Is that new?"

"Maybe. And it might be part of a set but you'll have to wait and see." Elsa teased.

Elsa was a master at transforming the energy of a room to put anyone, who wasn't already, in the mood. Like a kid in a candy store Anna sat up and ran her hands over every square inch of Elsa's delicious lace bra. Feeling where the silky fabric met Elsa's snow white skin. It was so sheer she could feel Elsa hardening underneath it. As Anna began to lay wet kisses on Elsa's chest the blonde released Anna's hair from it's ponytail, letting it fall into a fiery curtain around her face.

"Mmmm I love your hair." Elsa ran her perfectly manicured nails along Anna scalp, sending shivers down her spine. Inspired, Anna undid Elsa braid, shaking it out and wrapping her hands around whatever hair she could grab, gathering in it at the center of Elsa's back and slightly pulling on it.

"Someone's playing rough." Anna had a thing for hair pulling because it made the most glorious sounds escape from Elsa.

"Lay down. We have entirely too much clothing on." Anna commanded as she waited for Elsa to lay back on the perfectly white crisp sheets.

Elsa was so fair that Anna couldn't help but notice that she blended in really well on the all white bed.

"I wish you would have told me about you plans earlier. Otherwise I wouldn't have worn my boring plain white bra."

Elsa just smiled and really didn't care what color bra Anna was wearing because it wasn't going to be on much longer. Not if she had anything to do with it. Anna took off her shirt, knowing it probably wasn't going to have the same effect Elsa's disrobing did.

"And take that off too." Elsa pointed to the white bra Anna had been speaking of.

"I told you it was boring."

"It's not boring. It's in my way."

The blonde curled her finger making a 'come here' gesture, and Anna did as she was instructed. She laid herself on Elsa's surprisingly warm body before quickly lifting herself back up.

"I'm not hurting anything am I."

"No you're fine. Please don't think you have to handle me like a fragile egg. That's exactly why I wanted to do this now. Before I can't have you on me anymore."

Something about the way Elsa said that last thing put Anna into overdrive. She straddled Elsa on her hands and knees and unbuttoned Elsa's pants before pulling them off completely. Quickly doing the same to her own.

"Wait, wait, you're doing all the work."

She had wanted this to be about Anna but she was moving so fast and Elsa wasn't about to stop her as she was eagerly awaiting her touch.

"Elsa stop keeping score of who's doing what. Wow and now I see what you meant by part of a set."

She looked down at the matching black lace panties Elsa had on. Anna resumed her position and grabbed a strand of Elsa's locks on each side of her face and kissed her so deeply that it left her breathless, pulling Elsa's bottom lip back slightly when their lips parted. This time it was Elsa who leaned in towards Anna and picked up the pace by slipping her tongue between Anna's plump cupid bow lips. The music began to fade into the background as breathy moans were all the two could hear. Elsa was running a hand up and down Anna's smooth breast, lightly grabbing and squeezing, causing Anna's moans to become more high pitched.

"This is beautiful but it's gotta go." Elsa arched her back and allowed Anna to unclasp her bra. It had served its purpose. Anna dragged her hand down the center of Elsa's perfectly toned body, coming back up to take a voluptuous breast in her hand and knead it. Elsa pulled away slightly and winced.

"You okay?"

"Yeah just a little sensitive."

 _That's okay, there are plenty of other parts to explore._

Anna pulled down the lace panties and found Elsa staring at her with the most hungry deep blue eyes. Anna was trying to take it slow and savor the moment but couldn't hold herself back any more. She brought herself up to Elsa and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. "I love you" was the last thing Elsa could make out before she felt Anna's hand softly running up and down her most intimate of parts. She arched her back and moaned at the sensation of Anna's fingers entering her. The build up to the moment had been so intense that Elsa was already writhing in pleasure and breathing heavily onto Anna's neck. Her eyes fluttered closed and the sound of sweet and airy whines that Anna had been waiting in agony to hear, were now drowning out the music still playing in the background. Sensing that Anna may be trying to be overly gentle with her, she decided to give her a little direction.

"Harder. Please...Anna."

Hearing this as the go ahead to have her way with her, Anna began to increase her rhythm and depth, curling and twisting her fingers deep within the undulating blonde. Nestling her thumb on Elsa's pulsating bud, stroking her into an endless fog of pleasure. It was so strong that Elsa couldn't even form words to tell Anna how her touch was sending her over the edge.

And before she could, she was gone.

Burst into a thousand pieces of light as she clung to Anna and embraced the feeling of pure ecstasy.

"That was amazing."

Breathless, she held Anna's free hand up to her chest. She could still feel the galloping beats beneath her hand.

"From here it looked pretty great. You look so beautiful." She bent down and gently kissed Elsa before whispering in her ear. "I missed this."

"Well we're not done yet." Elsa said smirkingly.

It was time to really show her appreciation to Anna. She rolled the redhead over and slowly dragged her fingernails down the sides of Anna's body, electrifying her rosy skin. Hoping the sensation would tease Anna just enough. She really wanted to go down on Anna but feared that her stomach wouldn't be able to handle it. So she'd have to make up for with some creativity. Her hands explored every curve and found their way to Anna's hips, where she drew small circles around her hip bone, continuing to tease her with angel soft kisses that were so close to where Anna craved Elsa's touch the most.

"I love when you show your gratitude Elsa."

She made her way to Anna's warm center, gently gliding a finger inside. Anna responded by throwing her head back and arching into Elsa hand. Showing Anna the same kindness she had just shown her, Elsa savored each movement by going nice and slow, coaxing a serenade of needy mews from Anna's lips. When she seemed to adjust to the rhythm Elsa added another finger, causing Anna to moan rather loudly. Elsa continued to pleasure her, gliding and thrusting back forth with the help of Anna's wetness, and bent down to lick and kiss a soft spot just below Anna's hip bone. She pushed back into Elsa's hand and her breathing became shallower and faster. Her world began to blur as she fully submitted herself to Elsa, catching one last glimpse of Elsa's crimson lips on her hot skin. Her body squirmed in an effort to contain herself, she felt like she was going to combust from the pure white heat emitting from below. She clutched the white linen sheets in her hands as she felt that glorious sensation building up inside of her. She cried out Elsa's name repeatedly as she felt herself reach her peak. The look on Anna's face gave Elsa such satisfaction, knowing she'd giving her what she so craved.

When Anna finally came down from her high, she found Elsa next to her, stroking her flushed cheek. Neither one said a word. They just held each other, and relished the moment.

* * *

After their first round of twenty dollar burgers from room-service, they decided to try out the enormous bathtub. Anna put some of the rose peddles from the bed around the edge of the tub and made sure there were plenty of bubbles. She jumped in and joined Elsa who was already making herself comfortable. Her blonde hair was wrapped in a massively messy bun, with a few wild strands around her face.

"I'm having so much fun that I'm kind of sad to go home tomorrow."

Anna had her knees up to her chest and was playing with the ends of her hair.

"I know what you mean. It's back to reality tomorrow."

Elsa's eyes drifted off to the side and Anna could tell she was deep in thought.

"What's on your mind?"

Elsa opened her mouth but nothing came out at first.

"I...uh...do you ever have any worries about being a mom? I mean I look at you and your parents were so loving and you're great with kids. I didn't really have the best examples of parents. Sometimes I worry that I won't know how to be the parent I want myself to be. If any of that makes sense." Elsa buried her face in her hands.

"Elsa, I don't know much about your parents but I can't imagine anyone not feeling like you were anything other than a blessing. You're very loving. I've never felt more loved by any one in my whole life. And I don't know if anyone knows the secret or has a full proof plan to be the best parent."

Anna's toes scrunched up to Elsa's under the water and were resting on top of her feet.

"I think it's also normal to have worries about becoming a mom. It's a big change and a lot to take on."

Elsa smiled and rested her chin on top of her knees, staring down at the light reflecting in the bubbles.

"You're right. I think I just put too much pressure on myself. We're responsible for whole person's life. Who they'll become and what they'll do. All those childhood memories will be shaped by us. I don't want to be perfect but I just want to be good, I guess."

Anna slid up along Elsa's side and pressed their foreheads together.

"Hey, you will be. I'll be there and we'll help each other. I think that's why kids have two parents. To keep each other sane. Well most have two or...you know what I mean."

Elsa let out a rather loud sigh.

"We should order a giant breakfast tomorrow and eat it all in bed. And just lounge around till check out time."

"Oh I like that sound of that."

Anna playfully scooped up a handful of bubbles and blew them into Elsa's face. Figuring she needed to cheer her up a bit.

"Hey! Oh I see how it is."

Elsa used both of her hands to scoop up and blow even more bubbles into Anna face and hair. "Ha ha ha."

Anna retaliated by wiping some bubbles under Elsa's nose.

"Nice mustache Elsa!"

"Yeah it matches your hair!"

Plopping a giant mound of bubbles on top of Anna's head. They both laughed and she watched the bubbles melt down the sides of Anna's face.

"And you're worried about being a good mom? You're practically a child yourself."

Elsa playfully rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Let's get out and order a movie."

Anna sat up and gasped with excitement.

"A dirty movie?"

"No, a _movie_ movie. Besides, I'm still tired from earlier. I just want to cuddle up and watch something good."

Anna was only half joking but was a little disappointed. "Can we at least order hot chocolate?"

"Yes, of course. Cuddles and hot chocolate. We're such a cliché."


	7. Chapter 7

During her lunch break Elsa had decided to try out the pool across the street from her office. She was a little nervous about donning her new swimsuit that she didn't quite fill out yet. But any feeling of nerves left her mind as she entered the building and saw she had the whole lap pool to herself. The locker room was lined with cherry wood lockers and had everything one would need to prep themselves to return back to work. There was a long vanity with everything from hair dryers to cotton balls, hair spray, and mouth wash. Elsa neatly hung up her work clothes and put her swimsuit on. The fabric in the front was still fairly loose but there was definitely a small swell to her stomach now. If one didn't know any better they might have thought she just had a rather large meal. She ran her hands over the soft curve that was finally showing. Something about touching her own stomach was extremely comforting. It made it all the more real that she was not only growing a person but providing warmth and protection as well. She was this little person's haven, the only safety they had ever known. There was something suddenly so moving about it that Elsa almost began to tear up. Her moment of bonding was interrupted by an attendant coming in to the collect the used towels. Elsa grabbed her towel, slid on her flip flops and made her way out the pool.

It seemed odd to be swimming on a day that was so cold outside. The large glass windows of the room looked out to a stormy gray sky. Anna was right when she said she thought Elsa wasn't one for swimming. She hadn't done much more than lounge around a pool since childhood and wouldn't have known what to do if she hadn't watched some videos on prenatal swimming exercises. She grabbed a kickboard from the rack of swimming supplies and picked the lane closest to the windows. The water was surprisingly warm and Elsa tied up her hair and put on goggles before pushing away from the wall to warm up with some freestyle strokes. The weightlessness of the water let Elsa relax parts of her body she didn't even know were tense. She felt an increased feeling of relief in her hips and lower back. Even though the baby wasn't even a pound yet and Elsa still hadn't gained any weight due to morning sickness, her body was definitely going through some changes. She could tell that her hips and been moving, they hurt more and more lately, and her breasts were becoming so full that she was going to have to go bra shopping soon. But all of the discomfort couldn't deter from the fact that she was creating the most import thing in her whole life. She was amazed how extremely attached she could be to someone that she'd never met and hadn't really seen, clearly at least. Her joy gave way to a sharp feeling of sadness. Had her parents felt this way when they were expecting her? She couldn't imagine, now that they seemed perfectly fine without her in their lives. She thought becoming a parent would help her gain clarity and insight into the workings of her parents, but it only confused her more. She hadn't spoken to or seen her parents in over six years. She had shut their memory in a locked box and shoved it to the very back of her mind. It wasn't until now that the memories were starting to come back. Memories of her parents, her childhood. And she didn't know how handle it, let alone how to tell Anna.

* * *

Elsa had always had a passion for drawing and creating. She'd lock herself away in her room and doodle on a drawing pad for hours. She also loved to paint, and sing, and basically anything that made her feel alive. It frightened her father to no end because he saw it as the means to his family's undoing. If he were to encourage Elsa's creative endeavors, she might not want to take over his company someday and ruin everything previous generations had worked hard for.

"That nonsense is a distraction to your schooling. It's fine as a hobby but you'd better keep it under control. I don't want it corrupting your mind so that you can't be the kind of woman who can run a global company."

"Yes father."

She was to be his perfect protégé. He'd hired her the best tutors and kept her under a close watch at all times. No matter what she did, it was never enough for him. His level of expectation was something Elsa could never achieve. Anytime she obeyed his wishes she let herself down. And anytime she pursued her passions she let him down. It was a constant chase for his affection and approval. Her teen years were spent in a time of confusion and depression. The more she became like him the more she felt like she was dying on the inside. The only thing her father cared about was work. He never really took the time to even get to know his daughter, learn who she really was or what her gifts were. He was always telling her that she wasn't "applying" herself, or what a disappointment she was. Over the years his temper grew shorter and his anger spiraled. He never laid a hand on her, but he didn't have to. His verbal intimidation was enough to instill fear in her.

Elsa finally set a plan in motion to free herself from the shackles of obligation and family duty. She persuaded her father to allow her to attend school in the states, using the platform that knowledge of American economics and culture would only further her prosperity as head of the company. In reality, it got her far enough away from him so that she could study what she really wanted to without him knowing or cutting her off. Her father was a man of great knowledge but not one who looked at his daughter's tuition statements very carefully. If he had he would have seen that she was double majoring in business and architecture. Not only that but she was taking fine arts for electives. Knowing she had this one opportunity to begin a life of her own, Elsa hustled to find a job as soon as graduation was on the horizon. With her talent and portfolio, it didn't take long at all before a small architectural firm made her an offer. It gave her the start she needed, even though it wasn't much at first. Now with the means to support herself, she had to face her father. She had to tell him the truth in order for him to accept her for who she was and finally put an end to his oppression. Even if he didn't want to listen, she needed to tell him. She needed the closure.

Elsa was expected to return to home to Norway after graduation and prepare for her grooming process at the company. The thought of just calling her parents and breaking the news to them over the phone crossed her mind many times but knowing this might sever an already fragile relationship, she made the decision to go home and say goodbye to a life she would never know again.

Her father had sent a car to pick her up at the airport upon arrival. It was improbable that he would pick her up himself but none the less she was grateful to have some time to readjust to being home before she saw him. The car pulled up to the manor style mansion. It had been in Elsa's family for seven generations and had a historic look to it. The home was an iridescent white with dozens of tall rectangular windows that let the light pour into its many rooms. There were several gardens around the property and even a stable for horses. It was actually the house itself that had sparked her interest in architecture. Her heart sank with a bittersweet feeling that she tried to swallow away. Within this home was everything she'd known from her childhood. There were good memories. Like the picnics she used to have with her dolls out on the sprawling lawns of the estate. Or the time her and her mother sled down a nearby hill during a particularly snowy winter. But there were also times she wished to erase from her memory.

Elsa jumped when she heard the sound of the enormous front doors open. Her father, stoic and cold, stood outside the doorway to greet her.

"Hello Elsa." He waited for her to come to him.

There would be no embrace. This was not that kind of household. People were kept at a distance and emotions were nonexistent. Except for anger.

"Hello father."

"I trust you traveled well."

"Yes, thank you."

"Now if you'll come inside, Kai will take your things, we have much to talk about."

"Yes father." Elsa's father lead her to large sitting area with several small antique sofas and chairs.

"I've had Gerda prepare some tea and refreshments. You must be hungry after such a long flight."

"Actually I'm fine thank you."

Elsa was so nauseous at the thought of what she was about to say that she couldn't possibly eat or drink anything for fear it might come back up. Her body was starting to shake as if she were cold, the emotions began to bubble within her. She was so focused on what she wanted to say that she didn't even sit down.

"Father, before we begin there is something I need to talk to you about. It might save you a lot of trouble if you allow me to speak first."

The man was in the middle of pouring himself some tea into a delicate floral china cup and didn't even bother to look up when he responded.

"Oh, and what would be?"

Elsa braced herself as if she were to going to jump out of a plane. She took a deep breath and desperately tried to ease her shaking. A weak voice would only be dismissed by him and she wasn't about to let that happen.

"Father I've made a decision...about my future."

"What do you mean?" He still wasn't taking her seriously at this point as he was still staring at his tea.

"I've tried to be the daughter you want. I know I'm the only one who can take over and you've groomed me for this my entire life. But I can't."

"You can't what?"

He put his tea down and leaned back in chair. It was as if he was challenging to get her courage together, figuring she couldn't. His hands were folded in his lap and he looked at her as if she were a child asking him for permission. Elsa was amazed she was even doing this well so far. Another deep breath as she continued the speech she had practiced countless times.

"I need you to listen to what I'm about to say very carefully, as I mean no disrespect."

Elsa's father didn't say a word but drew a serious expression on his face and let out a forceful breath. She knew that look. She was scared now.

"I'm not going to be taking over the company. I'm not moving back home. And I need this. I need this for myself."

"For _yourself_?" He said sternly but with almost a mocking tone. "What makes you think I wanted this for _myself_." Elsa stood frozen in fear. The words she was about to say next flew out of her head.

"I don't think you know what you are saying. Best you go unpack your things and collect yourself before you say something you might regret."

He rose from his chair and began to walk out of the room. She knew it now. This was the beginning of the end. He wasn't going to hear her out but she needed to say what needed to be said. She had fought for this moment and she owed it to herself.

"No! Please. I- I need to say this. And if you're not going to listen then I still need to hear myself say it. I am not going to ever be who you want me to be. I am not and will _never_ be a part of your company. I've made a life for myself now and I can decide what's best for me. I don't want to lose my family but if you leave me no choice than so be it."

His face was red and he was clearly trying to conceal his anger.

"You have always been difficult Elsa. Never the worker I've needed you to be." He was outright yelling now and Elsa jumped when slammed a fist down on a nearby table. "Life is not about your frivolous dreams. It's about hard work and duty to your family's legacy. You've never had the discipline or the drive needed to lead this family. You're weak."

Each word was like an arrow in her heart. He treated her like a business associate, not like someone's little girl. The pain was causing her to hiccup her sobs and she tried to keep her composure. But she couldn't hold back the tears. She could count each one as they slowly welled up and trailed down her burning cheeks.

"I want something different. That doesn't make me weak. I'm not meant to lead your life. I want my own. With the freedom to do as wish, not as you tell me."

In her own way she was pleading with him to accept her for who she was. If he even knew who that was. His eyes were boring holes into her forehead as he slowly walked up to her. Mere inches from her face. Being this close to him, with her greatest fear staring her straight in the eyes, made her let out a soft cry that she quickly tried to stop.

"You..were _never._..an Arendelle. Just a disappointment...and a failure."

His words burned, seething with anger, and Elsa had to turn her face slightly away from him.

"You are no longer welcome here. You've said what you obviously came all the way back here to say. Now leave."

He turned on his heel and quickly walked out of the room, not looking back.

"Kai, escort her off the property."

And as he turned the corner, he was out of her life. She sank down onto the sofa and let the tears take over. Kai gingerly came to Elsa and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll give you minute Miss Elsa."

"Wait, Kai. If I could, I'd like to get some things from my room."

"Certainly m'am. But I can only give you five minutes. Your father would be sure to find out after that."

"Thank you."

Elsa sprang from her seat and dashed down a hallway and ran up the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her. This was her last chance to get anything important. When she came to her room she saw her bags that Kai had brought up. She turned the large rolling suitcase sideways and unzipped it. The bag was only filled with another smaller suitcase a few other bags. She had planned to take back whatever belongings she could fit into the bags before she even left the states. She glanced around the room and began throwing various items into the suitcase. She was moving so fast that she wasn't even sure what she was grabbing for after a while. She stopped and gasped out of fright when she heard a knock at the door.

"It's time Miss Elsa."

"Okay. Thank you Kai."

"Let me help you with your bags."

It felt like the agony of victory. She had done what she came to do to, knowing it wasn't going end well, but part of her was devastated with grief. She hadn't even been able to say goodbye to her mother. Her father probably wouldn't have allowed it anyway. The car began to pull out of the circular driveway and head towards the gates of the manor. Elsa turned in her seat to get one last look at the place she had called home for so many years. She saw the windows of her room grow smaller and smaller until they faded into the distance as the car sped away. _Goodbye._


	8. Chapter 8

_I will make it through this day. I will make it through this day._ Elsa kept repeating to herself as she sat helpless at her desk, elbows on the table with her fingertips pressed against her temples as she swirled around one of her many sour candies in her mouth. Only two more hours left at the office and her morning sickness (though she wondered how it ever got that name being it came at all times of the day) had decided to come on full force ten minutes before she was supposed to have a teleconference with her project team and the contractors. She ran through all the scenarios of how this could play out in her head and came down to two conclusions: she was either going to pull through and everything would be fine or she was going to lose her lunch in front of everyone and have to claim she had the flu or food poisoning. She was still deciding between flu and food poisoning when Tiana came in to tell her they were ready for her.

"You don't look so good. You going to be able to make it?" Tiana walked over to Elsa and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't have a choice. I have to get this meeting out of the way so I can go home. It'll be worse if I miss it and have to reschedule everything and put the project behind." That thought was making her feel worse.

"You can do this. It shouldn't take more than a half hour at the most anyways. Just make sure you locate the nearest trash can when you get in there," Tiana joked.

"Thanks. That's so reassuring," Elsa rebutted with an eye roll.

Elsa peeled herself off her desk, checked herself in her wall mirror, and headed to the meeting. She could feel her confidence building as she made her way down the hall towards the conference room. _See, feeling better already. Just needed to walk a little. Perfectly fine. You can do this._ She smiled at the thought of actually pulling this off and could almost taste the freedom of being able to bolt from the building as soon as the meeting was over.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Shall we get started?"

Her face was practically beaming as she greeted the long oval table of associates, until she saw the plethora of food laid out across the table. Sandwiches, artichoke dip with slices of bread, macaroni salad, cold cuts, and baby quiches were amongst the platters of food. _Oh God!_ The odor hit her like a brick wall. It was as if she could smell everything at the same time and it all smelled entirely disgusting. She quickly spun around to get the food out of her sight and clutched her stomach, fighting the urge to lose it all right there. _Get it together. Control it. Breathe... Just breathe...turn around and act natural._

"Elsa, are you hungry? There's plenty to go around!" Someone behind her said enthusiastically.

Her lips were quivering and she could barely open her mouth to speak without feeling sicker.

"No. Thanks," shaking her head to drive the point home.

"Let's get to it, shall we? Where are we on the Madison building?"

Elsa didn't even listen to the head contractor over the speaker and was just proud of herself for getting the ball rolling.

"Great, great. So we're on schedule then?"

 _Don't look at the food. Just focus on something else._ She checked the clock on the wall. It had only been five minutes. Suddenly, she honed in on something the contractor was saying and chimed in to correct him.

"No, the framing has to be completed by the end of March. That's what we agreed on."

A debate about scheduling ensued and Elsa was so wrapped up in the conversation that she seemed to forget about the food on the table. Twenty minutes passed before she looked at the clock again. _Oh my God I'm going to make it!_

"Well I think we all have our work laid out for us. Elsa, is there anything you want to add?"

Seizing the opportunity to end this meeting once and for all, she replied with a short and quick "No".

"Then we'll see everybody next Friday. Have a great weekend, everyone."

The man no more than finished his sentence before Elsa pushed her chair away and sprinted for the door. Tiana was waiting for her outside.

"Yeah, you made it!" Tiana cheered.

"Just barely. If you'll excuse me."

Tiana was trying with all her might to keep up with Elsa, who was blazing to the ladies room.

"Are you going to be sick?"

"In so many ways, yes."

Tiana stopped and let Elsa pass her by to give her some privacy. "At least you made it through the meeting!"

Elsa didn't even bother to turn around and continued to make her way to the restroom. _Poor thing. Didn't even get to enjoy the free food._

* * *

"How was your day?" Anna was already home starting on dinner when Elsa dragged herself through the front door.

"I almost got sick during a meeting. Don't ask." Elsa dumped all of her belongings on the floor and didn't even give it a second thought. _I'll clean it later_.

"I'm making meatloaf. You want some?"

Anna was in the kitchen with a cute frilly apron and kneading an egg into a bowl full of ground meat.

"Anna I love you but are you trying to kill me? I'm so not hungry and even if I was, it wouldn't be for... that."

Elsa couldn't even muster enough strength to say what _that_ was, for fear of hurling. Anna's smile dropped and she instantly felt foolish for not checking with Elsa and asking what she wanted for dinner.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking. I should have asked you what you wanted. I can make something else."

Anna started to wash off her hands and she watched Elsa try to pull herself up from the doubled over position she was in while standing in the entryway.

"No, I think I just need to change and lay down for a while."

Anna dried off her hands and started to walk towards Elsa.

"Do you want me to get you something? Candy or a glass of water?"

She went to rest her hand on Elsa's back but Elsa shot straight up and marched away before she could.

"No, Anna I just need to lay down! I don't need anything other than for you to stop asking if I need anything!" Elsa snapped.

Anna watched bewilderedly as Elsa walked right past her and up the stairs to the bedroom.

"Elsa I'm sorry I-" She didn't even get to finish her sentence before she was cut off by the sound of the bedroom door shutting. Here, Anna thought she was doing a good thing by coming home early and cleaning and making dinner. Anna thought she'd for sure be famished after a long day at work. Elsa didn't even notice that she had cleaned. She was becoming harder and harder to read these days. Some days, she was so loving and just wanted to cuddle and shower Anna with attention. Other days, she was like a whirling tornado of hormones and would say things before thinking. This was one of those days. Anna had read in one of her books to remind herself that this, too, shall pass but it was getting harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They only had a few more weeks to go before the morning sickness would subside, according to Dr. Bjorgman. But he had also warned Anna that some women suffered from morning sickness long after their twelfth week. Some even had it the entire time they were pregnant. What if that was Elsa? Anna could barely make it through the next two to three weeks, let alone another six months. She kept trying to tell herself that this wasn't the Elsa she loved, it was just the hormones talking. She hadn't done anything wrong, right?

Elsa never came down for dinner. She didn't come down for the rest of the evening, for that matter. Anna tried to busy herself. She read some of the baby books, she watched TV, she even thought about going over to Merida's house but she didn't want to leave Elsa or have to wake her up to ask. Dr. Bjorgman had also warned her that living with a pregnant woman can be challenging but she didn't think that was going to happen to Elsa. She expected it to be tough but not the kind of emotional drain she was experiencing. She'd been there for Elsa every step of the way, gotten her whatever she wanted. But it was starting to get harder. She was lonely and started to feel like she needed someone to take care of her. Elsa's fuse was so short with Anna and flipped out over the littlest things; she was downright mean some of the time.

Elsa was still asleep when Anna crept into bed. She was lying away from the center of the bed and Anna was still too jilted from earlier to curl up to Elsa, for fear she'd wake her up and make her mad. Instead, she just scooted up to Elsa's lower half and whispered quietly enough to not wake her. "Goodnight, baby. I love you."

* * *

The next morning Elsa woke up late again, as was becoming the norm on Saturdays. But this time there was a light blue vase with purple flowers on her nightstand. Elsa saw a small card next to the vase and read it:

"Went out to run some errands. Call if you need anything. Please, let's talk when I can back."

 _Oh no. I was so rude last night. She's probably so hurt she's out right now trying to avoid me._

With the morning sickness gone for now, she could feel it being replaced by overwhelming guilt. Elsa was furious with herself for the way she'd spoken to Anna the night before and started planning out her apology. The house was so quiet without her. Anna was always making some kind of noise. Even when she was grading papers she'd hum a song or click her pen around in her mouth. Now it was just deafeningly quiet. It wasn't like Anna never went out without Elsa, just not under these circumstances. Elsa had no choice but to stew in the consequences of her actions. As she made her way downstairs she noticed how spotless the place was. Anna not only picked up all their stuff but it appeared that she had dusted and wiped down every surface. _Wow she even deep cleaned._

An hour passed and Elsa couldn't even bring herself to do anything. It was part of her self-inflicted punishment to wait in misery for Anna to return. Finally, after another half an hour, she heard Anna's car pull into the driveway. She walked through the door looking refreshed and rather good looking in her tight skinny jeans and striped sweater. Anna didn't even know what to say when she saw Elsa. She wanted to say hi, of course, but felt like no matter what she had to say, she might irritate Elsa even more. She just went with a simple smile as she set her purse and keys down on the entryway table.

"Hi."

"Hi."

She figured it was safe to repeat whatever Elsa had said to her. She couldn't fault her for saying something she just said herself.

"Um...the flowers are beautiful." They were standing unusually far away from each other and it made things feel even more awkward.

"I went to the farmer's market early this morning. I know you love purple flowers and I thought of you when I saw them. You were still asleep when I got back, so I just set them on the nightstand and went back out to run some errands."

"Well, thank you. That was so sweet but I don't deserve them." Anna walked towards Elsa and started to say something but she was cut off.

"I know what I said last night and other things I've said the past few weeks were completely out of line. I was rude and you were just trying to help me. You've done nothing but cater to my every need with a smile on your face. Anna, I'm so sorry."

Anna had her hands in her tucked in her front pockets and was chewing her bottom lip.

"Elsa, I understand you can't help a lot of what's going on. I'm pretty sure this is just some hormonal thing but I won't lie, it's not getting any easier. And it hurts when I'm just trying to help and you lose your filter."

"Can we sit down? This feels so awkward and I want to hear everything you have to say in a way that's more _us._ "

"Yeah, of course."

They both made their way to the couch. Anna sat with both feet on the ground and Elsa sat facing Anna, her legs crossed on the cushion. Anna glanced up at her; she could tell by her face that she was genuinely sorry.

"Anna, I don't know what I could say to make you feel better, but I am so sorry and it pains me to think I hurt you."

She reached out and tucked a strand of Anna's strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. A single tear rolled down Anna's freckled cheek and her lip quivered.

"Anna, no... oh my gosh I can't stand to see you cry." Anna wiped away her tear and crossed her arms.

"It's not just last night. It's been like this for weeks now. I don't know what's going on, but there's something more than just hormones. I feel like there's something on your mind that you're not telling me."

 _Wow she really does know me._

Elsa took a deep breath and knew she was going to have to have an honest moment here.

"Anna, you're completely right."

"Wait, I am?"

"For the past few weeks, I have felt more irritable and not like myself. I've been more tired and this morning sickness is such a burden. "

Elsa continued, "But I've also been thinking more about my parents. Just the confusion I've been feeling about becoming a parent and... I don't know how to explain it other than that it's been on my mind. My parents, I mean," Elsa emphasized.

Anna uncrossed her arms and turned towards Elsa. "I honestly wouldn't have guessed that. I thought it had something to do with me. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Because it's wasn't something I was ready to share, I guess." Anna's eyebrows pinched together out of frustration.

"See, this is what I'm talking about. How could you not want to share that with me? _Me!_ I'm supposed to be the one person you can talk to about anything, but you won't. You never talk to me about your parents, or much of your childhood for that matter, and I feel like there's a part of you that you're keeping me away from."

This was not where Elsa had wanted the conversation to go but she was here now and had to find a way out.

"Because it's difficult for me to even think about myself. How can I talk about them if I don't even let myself think about them? Please, just give me time. I promise we'll talk about it more. I'll let you in, just not right now. Please."

Anna was shaking her head. She didn't agree with what Elsa was saying but she wasn't about to force her to have a conversation about it right then and there if she didn't want to.

"Please. I love you so much." She inched towards Anna and put her hand on her thigh. "I just need time. It has everything to do with me and not you. I promise to work on this together and to be more open. It's hard for me but I'll try."

Anna huffed a sigh and nodded. "Okay. If it's just time you need, then I can give you that. I've just been so lonely lately. You've been sleeping a lot and I just miss you I guess."

Elsa moved even closer to Anna and wrapped her arms and legs around her, embracing her in a full body hug.

"Well I'm here now." She laid a gentle kiss just behind Anna's ear.

"You still mad me?" Moving down to kiss the side of her neck.

"Not as much as I was. This is definitely helping."

Elsa ran her hand inside Anna's thigh, feeling the tight denim fabric.

"If it makes you feel any better, I felt even worse after seeing you come in looking so hot in these jeans." The conversation had now taken on a more playful tone.

"First you neglect me, now you're trying to get in my pants. I can't keep up with your hormones."

"I can't help it. I'm making us a baby; don't I get any credit for that?"

"I suppose."

Elsa brought her lips to meet Anna's and pressed a kiss. "I really am sorry." She whispered.

Anna didn't say anything and pulled Elsa in for a deeper kiss.

"Speaking of baby, we haven't bought one single baby thing and it is driving me crazy. I want nothing more than to go to the baby store and go mad."

"We don't even know the sex yet. We don't know what colors to buy yet." They were talking in between kisses.

"I know but... we could buy some neutral stuff. You know how I like green."

"Okay. But not too much because I have a whole decorating scheme going on for the new room."

"Fine I'll just stick to green, yellow, and white for now."

Elsa was still kissing and groping Anna, trying to move things to the next level.

"Elsa this is great but can we please go to the baby store? Now? You owe me anyway."

"Fine. I'll go get ready. But I expect to pick up where we left off later."

* * *

"Which store are we going to?" Elsa was gripping the sides of her seat as Anna zoomed in and out of traffic on the freeway.

"The big one."

Elsa rolled her eyes.

"Wait, no, not the big conglomerate one."

"Yes, Elsa. The big conglomerate one. They have everything and I've been waiting a really long time to go in there and buy something for my own baby. I promise we will go to the boutique stores another day."

Elsa pouted slightly but just let her eyes focus on the passing scenery out the window. Anna was getting more excited the closer they got and she was about ready to jump out of the car as soon as they entered the parking lot.

"Look, they have special parking for expectant mothers! We are so parking there."

"No, Anna! That's for people who are way further along and can't walk that far. Please don't park there. You can't even tell I'm pregnant yet. People are going to think we're just trying to park close to the entrance."

"Nope. I'm parking there. You're expecting, so get over it."

It was a worthless battle and so Elsa conceded. By the time she unbuckled her seatbelt Anna was already on the passenger side of the car waiting for her.

"Come on, come on!"

They walked through the automatic doors to find a giant store that must have carried everything ever made for babies. Anna's eyes were as wide as the grin on her face and she wandered into the store like she was caught in a tractor beam.

"Anna, wait. Do you even know what you want to look at? You could get really carried away quickly in a store like this. I think we should have some sort of plan so we don't go crazy."

Anna wasn't even listening as she was already lost in the racks upon racks of tiny baby clothes. "Oh my God! Look how tiny this is! This looks like it's for a doll!" She held up a white onesie with a sleeping baby bear on it.

"Awww, that's really cute." Elsa couldn't help but get caught in the moment.

"Look at the little footies on this one!" Elsa was drawn to a purple zip-up nightly with little gripper dots on the bottom of the footing. Whatever plan Elsa had tried to come up with had gone out the window.

She and Anna continued to show each other outfits, commenting on how cute and small they were.

"Oh my God Anna, look at this one!" Elsa spied a rack of tiny little tutu outfits in a variety of colors. "If we have a girl, think of all the cute stuff she'd get to wear. Think of the cute shoes! Headbands, bows, tights!" Elsa was getting all worked up over the endless clothing possibilities.

"Or... If we have a boy, he could wear this cute little sweater vest...or these engineer-looking overalls. Boys have fun clothes too, Elsa. You have to be prepared for either."

"I am. I just can't help but get excited that's all."

Elsa toned her enjoyment levels down a little as she didn't want to get ahead of herself and fall in love with something they wouldn't even be able to buy, not knowing the gender and all.

"Let's focus on something that's gender neutral and maybe not clothing because I'm finding that I'm very particular about baby clothes." Elsa again tried to redirect Anna's excitement.

"Let's look at swings. All the teachers at my work tell me that you have to have a swing. And you can get it in a gender neutral color because you can use it for more than one baby."

Elsa's eyes widened.

"More than one? You mean I'm going to have to go through this twice?"

"From the woman who told me she wanted three children." Anna rolled her eyes for a change. Elsa playfully shoved Anna's shoulder.

"Maybe two. I don't know if we'd survive three rounds of morning sickness. What aisle are the swings on?"

They wandered toward a giant sign hanging from the ceiling that read: "gear/activity".

"Activity. That would include swings, right?"

Elsa really had no clue.

"I think so."

They felt like two women in a foreign land. They knew the basics about baby care, but didn't realize how much they didn't know until they entered the store and didn't know what half the stuff was for.

"Here there they are!" Anna let go of Elsa's arm and skipped down the aisle.

"They're all so cute! How does one even begin to decide?"

"Well, try some out. See what you like. It looks like they all play songs and swing different ways. Just test a few out."

Anna went with her gut and chose a swing with the bassinet suspended from an overhanging arm. The bassinet part had soft white fabric that was made to look like a lamb, complete with two ears at the top of the headrest. She began to press the buttons on the controls and went through all the settings. There was classical music, sounds of nature, vibration, and kids' songs.

"Aww, it plays _Twinkle Twinkle_!" Anna proceeded to sing along with the music and was perplexed as to why Elsa looked so confused.

"What's matter? Don't you know _Twinkle Twinkle_?"

"No, Anna I don't. I didn't grow up in this country remember? Nursery songs just weren't something my tutors taught me."

It had never really dawned on Elsa that not only did she not know any kids' songs in Norwegian, but she also didn't know any American kids' songs, either. As Anna went through the various songs, singing to each of them, she realized that Anna knew them all and she didn't know a single one.

"Anna. I don't know any of these songs." Her voice was a little panicked.

"Whoa, Elsa, it's okay. I'll teach them to you. You have plenty of time to learn these."

Anna seriously forgot sometimes that Elsa wasn't American. She never had even a hint of an accent and knew all about American culture. She never really talked much about Norwegian culture or traditions.

"I think I saw some CDs in one of the aisles that have lullabies on it. We can get that too, okay?"

"Okay. I'm just a little embarrassed that I didn't think about this before. I don't even know any lullabies to sing to my own baby. What kind of a mother am I?"

Anna wrapped an arm around Elsa's waist and pulled her in for a tight hug.

"A good one."

Elsa just smiled.

"Okay, I want to get this one."

Anna stood back and clapped her hands, proud of herself for making her first important parental decision. Elsa pulled out her phone and began thumbing through it.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to look at the reviews before we buy it."

"Elsa I can always count on you to be an informed consumer."

"Okay, it has 4 1/2 out 5 stars. That's good enough for me."

"Great, I'll go get a cart!"

* * *

Putting it together ended up taking twice as long as they thought but once it was finished they couldn't pry their eyes away from it.

"Put it by the couch so I can just stare at it."

Anna struggled to pick up the swing and move it to where Elsa was pointing to.

"Ugh... There. How's that?"

"Perfect. Now come sit with me and bask in its glow."

"Wait, let me turn it on. Which song do you like?"

Elsa had to think as she couldn't really remember the names of the few songs Anna had told her about while they listened to the children's CD on the ride home.

"The bridge one."

" _London Bridge_."

"Yes, that one."

Anna turned the swing and the song on and plopped herself on the couch next to Elsa. They wrapped themselves in each other's arms and watched the mesmerizing swaying of the swing.

"This makes it feel so much more real. An actual little person is going to be in there in about six months."

"I can't wait. That feels like an eternity from now." Elsa leaned her head against Anna's shoulder as they continued to watch the swing back and forth, day dreaming about their baby.


	9. Chapter 9

Even though Elsa was now free to live her life on her own terms, she hit a rough patch when she returned from Norway. She had difficulty motivating herself to go out and enjoy life. She found herself staying home and shutting herself off from the world after a day of work. After several months, she decided enough was enough. She lost her family in order to have this life and what was she doing with it? It was time to get back out there and live a little. She was more of an extrovert than an introvert and was desperate to have some human interaction. She scrolled through her contact list searching for someone who could help get her out of her shell. _Jasmine, yes!_ Jasmine was a good friend of Elsa's who had been there for her for as long as Elsa could remember. She was also one of the first people Elsa trusted during her whole coming out process. Jasmine always had her finger on the pulse of the city. She always knew what restaurants were trendy, what clubs to go to, and pretty much had plans every Friday and Saturday night. Elsa decided to text her.

 _'Plans for Friday night? I've been working way too hard and need to get out for a night of fun.'_

Elsa felt her phone buzz. ' _You're talking to the right person. Me and a few girls are going to sushi and karaoke. You want to come? You'd better say yes because you have the best voice of anyone I know.'_

' _Where and what time?'_ The blonde texted back.

Jasmine sent Elsa all the details. They were all going for sushi at a new hotspot downtown and then they were going to head to Jasmine's favorite Karaoke bar. Great. Now I just have to figure out what to wear.

* * *

Sushi had gone well and Elsa was feeling like her old self again. She liked being around Jasmine because she had a similar sassy streak and was a woman who spoke her mind. Elsa admired that. Jasmine had brought along three other friends, and being the only blonde, Elsa stuck out from the group.

"Okay ladies, let's get a table and start looking at the song list. I'm going first!" Jasmine declared.

"I think I may need a few drinks first." Elsa had an amazing voice, but was a little nervous about singing in front of a crowd.

The first round of drinks came to the table as the girls flipped though the lists of song choices. Elsa had a strange feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around the room trying to confirm her hunch but didn't spot anyone. She thought it was probably nothing. Until she saw a pair of bright blue eyes dart away. Hmmm. Elsa didn't think any more of it and went back to picking out a song. The picture of the woman was still playing in her mind. _Her hair was a really pretty color. Wonder if it's natural. I think it was red, or auburn. Or… Strawberry blonde?_ Unable to remember, she tried to steal a quick glance at the woman, only to find she was looking at Elsa again. This time Elsa didn't break the eye contact. The redhead flashed a smile and gave a small wave.

"Elsa, I know it's been awhile since you've been out but I think that girl is checking you out. You should go say hi. She's cute." Jasmine was nudging Elsa to get off her chair and go over and talk to the redhead.

"Maybe later. I'm with you guys and I don't want to be rude. Besides, it looks like she's with some of her own friends, anyway."

Several drinks later, Jasmine was finishing her rendition of "Hot N' Cold" by Katy Perry when the redhead came up to take the mic from her. Elsa found herself sitting up in her chair, intrigued. _"Just Dance" by Lady Gaga, not a bad choice. God, her smile!_ The redhead's voice was one of the most beautiful Elsa had ever heard. She was definitely a soprano and could effortlessly hit the high notes. Anna bopped around to the song and made the sassiest faces. She also did cute little hand gestures as she sang which were slowly driving Elsa crazy. _Adorable AND sexy. I'm in trouble._ Her voice was captivating, but Elsa kept getting distracted by the low cut shirt that revealed her freckled chest.

"I think someone has a crush," Jasmine teased, smirking into Elsa's ear.

"She's just really good. Don't get ahead of yourself." Elsa defended herself.

After the redhead finished her song, Elsa stood up to head to the ladies room.

"I'll be right back."

"You'd better be because you're almost up. You're not going home until you sing, Elsa!" Jasmine shouted as Elsa dashed from her seat.

She spun around and began to walk towards the bathroom when she collided with someone.

"Ouch." She was about to tell the person to watch where they were going but she suddenly realized it was the redhead.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? You look a little mad, which is understandable. I mean I just slammed right into you and you have every right to be mad but..." The girl with the red hair blabbered.

She continued to ramble and Elsa saw no choice but to interrupt in order to get a word in.

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize. I wasn't really watching where I was going anyway. You were great up there, by the way. Your voice is really beautiful."

"Me? Oh wow. Thank you. If I could be honest with you, I was really nervous once I saw you. I haven't been able to take my eyes off of you since you came in."

 _So, Jasmine was right. She was checking me out._

Elsa's face flushed and she could feel her cheeks turning seven shades of red.

"Umm...I'm Elsa by the way."

"Anna."

"Anna. Pretty hair and a pretty name." Now it was Anna's turn to blush.

"I know you're busy with your friends, but if you'd like to come over and have a drink I'd really love that."

"Actually, I'm supposed to sing next. But maybe after?"

"Okay, well I look forward to hearing you sing then!"

Elsa sprinted into the bathroom and immediately checked her face in the mirror.

Elsa found herself blushing like a school girl. _I knew it._

She quickly freshened up her make-up and ran her fingers through her hair. She was grateful that she had decided to wear it down instead of in her normal braid. Jasmine grabbed Elsa by the arm when she got back to the table.

"I changed my mind. You're singing this." Jasmine pointed to one of the songs on the list.

"'Because the Night' by 10,000 Maniacs... Why? That song is so old."

"Because this song is sexy! You need to let yourself go and show that redhead who you really are. You've been holed up for months and you haven't even had a date in a year. You owe it to yourself to let loose a little."

She didn't even give Elsa time to argue and pushed her towards the stage. _Thank God at least I know some of the words._ Elsa looked out and saw Anna eagerly waiting. Once again, Jasmine was right. She did owe this to herself. She was her own woman now and she wanted to make Anna's head spin. _Take a deep breath. Just have fun._ She heard the song start to play and her heart began to pound. There were a few cat calls coming from her friends as she took the mic off the stand, but all she could look at was Anna and her piercing aqua eyes. Elsa tried to calm her nerves by focusing on the lyrics on the screen. Jasmine was off to the side, grinning and nodding her head in encouragement.

 _"Take me now, baby, here as I am_

 _Hold me close, n' try n' understand_

 _Desire is hunger is the fire I breathe_

 _Love is a banquet on which we feed"_

The lyrics were so sultry and sexy that Elsa could hardly believe she was singing them. They were the exact words Elsa wanted to express to Anna but knew she would never have had the courage to. As the beat kicked in with the chorus, Elsa felt herself start to relax. Everyone else in the room faded away and she could only see Anna, sitting at the table, eyes wide.

Meanwhile, across the room, Anna was drinking in the sight of Elsa's long beautiful hair as it caught light at just the right angles which gave Elsa a heavenly glow. Anna started to slightly sway to the music and roll her shoulders back; she could hardly believe what she was witnessing.

 _"Because the night belongs to lovers_

 _Because the night belongs to us"_

It was like Elsa was singing just for her. She'd never seen anything so sexy in her whole life. Elsa continued to lose herself to the music. She flipped her hair and flashed Anna every sexy look she knew. _This has gone far beyond flirting. I might pass out_. Anna thought to herself. The way Elsa's lips wrapped around each word made Anna feel like she was going into coronary arrest. Her voice was so versatile. It was sassy one minute and sultry the next.

 _"They can't hurt you now_

 _Can't hurt you now_

 _Can't hurt you now"_

Her heart ached a bit, as the lyrics could not have been truer for her. Nothing could hurt her or Elsa now. She had nothing more to lose and everything to gain.

"Look at the redhead. Her head's going to explode!" Jasmine said with pride.

 _"So take me now_

 _Take me now_

 _Take me now"_

Elsa kept repeating the lyrics and Anna was ready to run onstage and take Elsa right then and there like she was suggesting. There was a huge applause when Elsa finished. The voice of the vixen that had just been singing suddenly sounded much more reserved as Elsa politely said, "thank you" and handed the mic back to the host.

"Good luck to the person that has to follow that!" he chuckled.

"How did I do?" The blonde coyly asked Jasmine.

"I think you made every woman in this room question their sexuality. Go talk to her, I think she may need some medical attention." Jasmine pointed to Anna.

"You'd be okay if I went and talked to her for a while?"

"I would be mad if you didn't."

Elsa walked over to the table where Anna was sitting and pulled up a chair.

"Wow, that was amazing. I think you literally burnt the place down, it was so hot. You have an amazing voice."

"Thank you. I haven't sung in front of people for a while. But I was having so much fun I guess I got caught up in the moment."

"Whattya drinking? I'll order you another."

"Actually, I'm good. I've already had enough liquid courage for this evening."

Anna was desperately trying to think of something to say. She still hadn't recovered from Elsa's display of affection.

"So, Elsa, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm an architect. I specialize in glass structures."

"Wow I didn't know someone could specialize in that. Beautiful and smart."

Elsa smiled and let out a nervous laugh.

"If you say so." Elsa said modestly. "What is it that you do?"

"I'm finishing up my last year of college, but I'm planning on being a teacher."

"Oh, that's so funny you say because I just finished college last year. Any grade in particular you want to teach?"

"Elementary school, but really wherever I can get a job next year." Anna said while nervously tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, desperately trying to make a good first impression.

"Somehow I can see you being teacher. You seem very... Energetic. And kind."

Anna giggled. "I get that lot. Are you from around here?"

"I live not far from here now but I'm originally from Norway." For some reason that came out sounding like a question.

"Wait, what? You don't even have an accent! But now that you mention it, that would explain the platinum blonde hair."

"I learned English when I was really young and my English tutor was from California, so…."

"Tutor? You sound like an uptown girl."

"What do you mean?" Elsa wasn't familiar with the term.

"Well people who have tutors are usually umm... Not poor, so to speak."

"My parents may not be poor but I don't depend on them. So, I guess you could say I'm formerly wealthy."

The two continued to chat for over an hour. Elsa learned that Anna grew up not far from the city and was an only child such as herself. They both liked chocolate. The more they talked, the more they learned how much they had in common. Elsa was so engrossed in the conversation that she didn't notice how much time had passed until the conversation was cut short by Jasmine telling her they were heading out.

"She's my ride so I have to go. But let me give you my number and we can go out sometime."

"I'd love that. Would it be weird if I called you tomorrow?"

"No, that would be nice," Elsa said with a wink.

* * *

Anna called Elsa the very next day like she'd said. They arranged to go for brunch at a place near Elsa's apartment. It wasn't until she gave Anna directions that they realized how closed they lived to each other. Just a ten minute drive away, in fact. Elsa was busy trying to figure out what to wear, as usual. _A brunch date. This is new_. Wanting to dress nice but not overdone for lunch, Elsa decided to go with a light blue scoop neck dress that hit just above the knee. It was still September and she wanted to wear her summer dresses one last time before fall set in. Besides, blue always looked great on her. She was finishing up her braid when she heard Anna at the door. "Coming!" Elsa looked through the peephole to see Anna's eyes darting around nervously. Elsa opened the door.

"Hi... Wow you look great. Ready?"

"Yeah just let me grab my keys."

Anna had regretted wearing a long maxi skirt after seeing Elsa's dress. It showed off her legs in a way that almost made Anna's feel like they were going to give out.

"Ready, let's go."

Anna drove them to the restaurant in record time. Elsa had suggested a little place she knew that had lot of greenery and really great brunch.

"I love that you can get breakfast so late on the weekends. I have to say, brunch is my favorite meal. Or time of day to eat a meal. You know what I mean." Anna rambled on.

Elsa giggled. _She's so adorable when she doesn't know what to say._ Anna seemed to have the most interesting things to say and in the most adorable way. The waitress seated them at a patio table that was surrounded by tall banana leaf trees and bamboo. The table was nice and secluded away from the roaring brunch crowd inside. And it didn't hurt that it was quite romantic for a lunch date.

"This is really cool. I've never been here before, but it looks like a jungle. I can't believe I never knew this restaurant was here." Anna looked around the restaurant before settling her eyes back on Elsa.

"Yeah it's one of my favorite places because the trees make it feel like a little oasis."

"I heard they have really good waffles here." Anna commented, then noticed Elsa hadn't opened up her menu. "Aren't you going to look at the menu?" Anna looked at Elsa puzzled.

"Oh no, I already know what I want."

"And that would be..."

"Eggs Benedict. It's my favorite breakfast."

"I like that. A lady who knows what she wants."

Elsa couldn't help but smile at the thought that Anna had hit the nail on the head.

"That would be me."

Anna tried to focus on the menu and figure out what to eat but her eyes kept wandering to look at Elsa. Her hair was even more magnificent in the sunlight. Her eyes were bluer than the sky and her eyebrows had some sort of goddess-like quality to them. The way her eyelashes fluttered made Anna's heart skip a beat. Elsa caught Anna staring but didn't seem to mind.

"Find anything good?" She asked.

"Huh...oh yeah. I think I'm going to get waffles."

"Nice choice. So what made you want to go into teaching?"

Elsa had her arms folded on top the table and was leaning in to give Anna her full attention.

"Well, I really like kids and my mom is a teacher, so..." Anna's brain gave out when Elsa smiled and lost track of what she was saying.

"And this is your last year of school?"

"Yes, I'm really looking forward to finishing. All those tests and studying. Not to mention the food on campus really isn't that good. I mean, the coffee is great but you can only have so much coffee and... I'm sorry. I'm rambling."

Anna sat back in her chair and nervously clutched one of her braids in her hands and began to play with the end of it.

"No, don't stop. I enjoy hearing what you have to say." Elsa's eyes were full of sincerity. "It's nice to have all the studying out of the way. Just going to work is so much easier."

"Yeah I'll bet. So, um... What made you move all the way here from Norway?"

 _She's still stuck on this Norway thing._

"School. I just wanted a change of pace and the school I went to here was known for its architectural program."

"Oh. It's really cold there right?"

"In Norway?" Elsa clarified. "Yes, most of the time, but the summers are fairly warm."

"Oh my gosh I bet it's so beautiful. Mountains, northern lights, and fjords."

"Yes, it is beautiful."

Anna was sensing that this wasn't a topic Elsa wanted to elaborate on. She was about to change the subject but Elsa beat her to it.

"You're hair is really beautiful. Do your parents have red hair?"

"Oh, my dad does. I didn't like it growing up but I've grown to love it." Anna was still playing with the braid between her fingers.

"It reminds me of the sunset."

"Oh, thank you."

The waitress came over to take their order and Elsa couldn't help but chuckle to herself when Anna ordered extra syrup with her waffles. She could tell Anna was the kind of person who was very much in touch with her inner child. It was a breath of fresh air for someone like Elsa who hadn't been allowed to have much of a childhood. The blonde came out of her thoughts just as the waitress returned with their two cups of coffee. Anna immediately reached for three sugar packets and sprinkled them into her steaming coffee, finishing it off with as much cream as the cup would hold.

"You seem to like sugar." Elsa noted.

"Yes, I do! I think there's probably more sugar than coffee in there."

Anna watched Elsa daintily open a single pack of sugar and gingerly stir it into her coffee, clinking her teaspoon twice on the rim when she was done.

 _Black, wow. I wouldn't have guessed that._ Anna thought. She was entranced by the grace and confidence in which Elsa did something a simple as prepare her coffee. It was if she every move she made was methodically thought out and executed with precision. Very proper and elegant.

"You must really like the taste of coffee because I don't even see a hint of cream in there." Anna motioned to the cup with her eyes.

"Oh, ha! Unlike here where it's all about customizing your coffee, black is common in Norway, so I'm used to it," Elsa explained, then gave a shrug. "Old habits die hard."

Their conversation had come to the all too familiar awkward point of a first date where neither one could really think of anything to say and were patiently waiting for the food to come and provide a much needed distraction. Elsa was only slightly thrown by the silence. She just used the opportunity to take in the scenery and enjoy her coffee.

Anna, on the other hand, had an entire dialog going inside her head. _This is so painful. Say something. Anything! I should ask more about architecture. No, no, she probably doesn't want to talk about work._ Anna fidgeted her hands and kept crossing and uncrossing her feet as she desperately tried to fill the silence. _Oh I know, I'll ask about how she chose that song last night_. Just as Anna had begun to open her mouth to speak, the waitress interjected with their meal. Elsa was gently putting her napkin on her lap while Anna stared gobsmacked at the size of her waffle.

"This waffle is bigger than my face! Look at it, it's huge! We could have shared this." Anna said as she unwrapped her silverware from her napkin, knife poised, ready to tackle the behemoth of a breakfast.

"I know, the portions are so big here. I can never even finish half of anything I order."

Anna began to smear a rather large pad of butter over the enormous waffle. She used the entire dish of butter and dowsed the waffle in a flood of syrup, licking her lips the entire time. As she stuffed a bite of into her mouth, Anna began notice how neat and tidy Elsa was with her food. For something as messy as eggs Benedict, her plate was in perfect order. She would use her fork and knife to cut a perfect square-shaped bite and then set the knife off to the side before consuming her petite bite of food. Anna wasn't even using her knife and was letting her fork do all the work.

"You picked a great place. This is so nice!" Anna said through a mouthful of waffle.

"Yes, and it's fast."

Anna struggled to swallow her last bite and washed it down with a gulp of coffee before she continued to make small talk.

"So, can I ask you something?" Anna took another sip of coffee.

"Yes." Elsa was intrigued now.

"What made you decide to do that song last night? I mean, it was amazing, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't what I was expecting." Anna hoped she hadn't offended Elsa.

"I wasn't expecting it, either. The friend I was with picked it out for me. I think it was her attempt to get me to come out of my shell. That's not something I would have chosen on my own, for sure." Elsa shook her head as she flash backed to the memory of herself from the previous night.

"That makes more sense. But you seemed to have really enjoyed yourself, so I guess it worked." Anna was slowing down on her food as she felt her stomach getting full.

Elsa debated whether or not to tell Anna exactly what went on last night and why she ended up having a moment of personal liberation in a karaoke bar. She felt like she could tell her anything because Anna was so warm and sensitive. She would understand. But part of her wanted to hold back.

"I have been going through a rough time the past few months... It's a long story... I think that was all coming out last night. And I won't lie, I think of small part of me was trying to impress you." A blush was spreading across Elsa's face and she stared down at her coffee, finding it hard to look at Anna in the eyes after being so honest.

"I think 'impress' is an understatement. I mean, here we are, so... It's like it was meant to be." Anna reached out to take Elsa's hand that was sitting on the table in her own, gently rubbing her thumb over her porcelain skin.

They continued to talk while they ate and Elsa was starting to dread the thought of the afternoon coming to an end soon. Anna was like no one else she had met before. She was funny and sensitive and made the sexiest little smirks. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she hadn't been on a date in a year or if it was something about Anna that left her wanting more. She was pretty sure it was the latter. All of Anna's little eccentricities just made her all the more lovable. Yes she rambled, but she was never boring. She was the perfect ying to Elsa's yang. For all the pain that she had been through the past few months, it was starting to feel like she had fought for what was now materializing before her eyes.

"I've got this."

Elsa grabbed the check off the table before Anna could get her hands on it.

"No way, I'm the one who asked you out."

Elsa playfully laughed and held the check even further away as Anna tried her hardest to pry it from her hands.

"I'm not about to make a college student pay for my breakfast. You can buy me breakfast after you graduate."

They both stopped laughing for a minute as Elsa realized what she had said.

"You'll still want to have lunch with me after June?"

"I'm sorry that was presumptuous of me."

"No, no. I want to... I mean, I hope we do."

Elsa tried to recover, her cheeks a little flushed from embarrassment.

"I think what I meant to say was that I had fun and I'd like to see you again."

"Me, too!" Anna was a little too over enthusiastic in her response. There was a long moment of silence as the two young women gazed into each other's eyes. "Shall we head out?"

This time on the drive home, Anna tried to pace herself and drove slower, wanting to spend as much time with Elsa as possible. They giggled and laughed the whole way, sang along to the radio, and told jokes. It felt like they had known each other a lot longer. They just seemed to fit together so naturally. But the good time came to an end when Anna pulled up to Elsa's apartment. Anna tried to muster up the courage to say goodbye and was deciding whether or not she should try to kiss Elsa. Or maybe Elsa would try to kiss her. The butterflies in her stomach were beginning to make her feel lightheaded.

"I don't know what your plans were, but it's still early in the day. Would you like to come in for a while?"

Elsa figured they were having such a good time, why should they stop here?

"Yeah, I'd like that."

* * *

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Water would be great."

Anna sat down on Elsa's comfy white leather couch and looked around the apartment, trying to get a better sense of Elsa from it. The color scheme consisted of all cool colors: blues, whites, and purples. It was immaculately clean and there were a few pieces of art on the walls. She couldn't help but notice that the place seemed to have a lot of symmetry to it and Elsa seemed to have a thing for geometric patterns. _Of course she would. She's an architect, genius._ Anna almost face palmed herself right there on the spot.

"Your place is really nice. I like the colors."

Elsa put a glass of water for Anna on a coaster and sat down next to her, sliding her shoes off.

"Thanks. This is my first place on my own, so it's nice to have the feeling of 'everything in here is something I paid for.'"

"Yeah I can understand that. I can't wait to be done with school so I can stop eating Ramen noodles."

The sexual tension was killing Elsa. She felt she'd been talking forever and she just wanted to kiss Anna already. Seeing that she might be a little shy, Elsa wasn't sure if she'd have to make a move first.

"I like this one." Anna pointed to a framed painting of a snowy white-capped mountain hanging on the wall to the right of Elsa.

"Oh, it's something I saw at a friend's gallery showing."

While Elsa was busy talking about the painting, Anna moved in closer.

"She gave me a great deal on it and I just couldn't refuse."

Elsa turned away from the painting and slowly back towards Anna. Anna reached out and gently wrapped her hand around the back of Elsa's neck as she pulled her in for the most splendid soft kiss Elsa had ever experienced. Anna held their lips together and let them linger a bit longer than normal, savoring the moment. When her eyes fluttered open she saw Elsa smiling back at her.

"I was wondering if that was ever going to happen." Elsa tucked her bottom lip into her mouth and licked it, perhaps just to taste Anna lips one more time.

"I know what 'do you want to come in' is code for. Besides I've been dying to do that ever since I heard you sing last night."

They leaned back in to continue where they left off. Elsa's hands were on the side on Anna's face and were pulling the ginger in closer. Their heads tilted side to side, each kiss deeper than the next. Their lips glided effortlessly over one another, feeling as if they were the perfect match. Elsa was the first to gently reach out and massage Anna's tongue with her own. Just a light touch, tempting Anna to reply with more vigor. The kissing became more passionate as an entire afternoon of build up was now being unleashed. Most of lunch had felt like a long hour of foreplay. Elsa had been dying to run her hands over Anna's slim and fit body. Just as much as Anna had wanted to taste Elsa's perfectly rose red lips. They were both starting to moan in to each other's mouths, hands running through hair, and clothes begging to be shed. Elsa reached down and slid off Anna's cardigan, exposing even more deliciously freckled skin. She traced the lines of Anna's camisole straps and continued down her shirt, running a finger ever so gently over Anna's chest, sending shivers down her spine. Surprised at her own actions, Elsa pulled back and broke the kiss.

"I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me. I don't normally act this way with someone I've practically just met," Elsa admitted.

"Just do what feels right." Anna was eager to get back to their little activity.

Elsa had to think a minute about what that might be. She couldn't think over the voice in her head screaming to keep kissing Anna. She figured that must be the right thing, even if it was out of the norm for her.

"You're right."

Elsa grabbed Anna's shoulders and pulled her back into a kiss. And it didn't take long before their passion started to take over again.

"Wait, wait. Maybe you're right." Anna said as she forced herself to pull back. Elsa shook her head in confusion. "Maybe you're right. This is already better than anything I could have imagined and I don't want to spoil it. If we keep going I might not be able to stop myself."

Elsa nodded her head. "We should slow down. As much as I want to keep going, I don't want to ruin anything by rushing." Elsa agreed.

"We obviously know we have chemistry. Let's just get to know each other better. I think there might be something here." Anna was gesturing back and forth between them.

"I think so, too. Do you just want to watch a movie instead? I just got _Julie and Julia_ and I haven't watched it yet."

"You know, usually I'd turn down an offer like that. But for you, I think I'll make an exception," Anna joked, giving Elsa a smirk.

The two spent the entire afternoon wrapped in a blanket on the couch and stole kisses throughout the movie. Elsa learned that Anna was a talker when it came to watching movies. She commented on everything and had to have Elsa explain what was going on or why something happened. But Elsa loved it. She wasn't lonely anymore and Anna seemed to fill that gaping hole in her heart she'd been feeling for a very long time.


	10. Chapter 10

Elsa lay flat on her back on the examination table, straining her head to look down at the measuring tape that Dr. Bjorgman had running up the length of her stomach. She watched as his large muscular hands seamlessly maneuvered the taped between his thumb and index fingers, measuring vertically and then horizontally.

"Is Anna going to be joining us today? If so I can hold off on doing the heartbeat until she gets here."

The weight of her head had become too much on her neck and she propped herself up on her elbows to get a view of the action.

"No she had a meeting she just couldn't get out of today. But she'll be here next time."

There was hint of sadness in her voice. She wasn't used to not having Anna with her at their appointments. This was the first one Anna had ever missed in the past three months. There was no witty repartee or silliness to balance the more somber feeling of the room.

"Well, you're measuring right at thirteen weeks, which is exactly what you are. I'd say growth rate is normal and right on track." The tall blonde man scratched the back of his neck as he spoke. "If you lay back down we can check the heartbeat."

Any feelings of sadness that had been brought on by the reminder of Anna's absence were quickly replaced with the warm feeling of joy.

"This is my favorite part! Anna said the other day she wished she had one of the dopplers at home so she could listen to it every day." She smiled as she pictured Anna's gleaming face.

Dr. Bjorgman got out a small handheld fetal doppler and nestled it into the side of Elsa's now curvaceous stomach. She held her breath when she didn't hear anything but static at first. Dr. Bjorgman began to twist and glide the instrument around as he stared up at the ceiling, allowing his ear to better focus on the sound.

"Come on little one. Where are you?" He said as he switched to the other side of her abdomen.

The anticipation was killing Elsa, her eyes darting and forth between Dr. Bjorgman and the doppler. The static was interrupted by a loud swishing sound that made Elsa twist her face in confusion.

"That was just the baby moving away from the doppler. They don't like the sound the waves create. You've got an active one already."

Movement is good. You can't move without a heartbeat. Elsa thought to herself. Finally a tiny heartbeat sound came over the speaker as Dr. Bjorgman counted the beats and timed them with his watch. A smile that felt like it came straight from her heart stretched across Elsa's face. These were the moment she treasured the most. They helped to remind her that this was why her body had been putting itself through hell the past few months.

"Heartbeat sounds great, very strong. We'll just do some palpitations and then we can talk about any concerns you're having."

"Okay." She replied.

Elsa tried to fight the giggles that were desperately trying to escape from her. Dr. Bjorgman's hands were lightly pushing into Elsa's stomach to get a better idea of her uterus size and position, but it tickled Elsa like crazy.

"It's okay, you don't have to fight it. You're not the first patient I've had that was ticklish."

A burst of laughter escaped from her once she stopped trying to suppress the feeling.

"I'm sorry. This happens every time." She brought her hand up to her mouth trying to stifle the continuous flow of giggles.

"I'm feeling that your placenta is really low. You're probably going to need to take it easy for a while so that it can move away from your cervix. Here, sit up and I'll explain."

He held out his hand and helped Elsa come to an upright position. A look of concern came over her as the giggles had stopped and were replaced with knitted eyebrows.

"It's not a major concern at this point but basically you don't want your placenta too low or it will block the baby's path out of the womb during delivery. I want to check it again in a week and if it's not moving up you'll need to go on best rest."

Her head shook in disbelief.

"Bed rest? For how long? What am I going to tell my work? They don't even know I'm pregnant yet." She ran her hands through her hair a few times before resting her fingers on her temples. This was not the news she'd been hoping to hear. She knew she was going to have to tell her work eventually but she had wanted to do it in her own time. Which was never at the rate she was going.

"You're far enough along that you would be safe in telling work. Miscarriage is less of a concern after twelve weeks." Elsa gave a defeated sounding sigh and hung her head before looking back up at Dr. Bjorgman.

"I know, you're right. I've been avoiding. I'm working on so many projects right now that I know I'm going to ruffle some feathers with this news."

He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Elsa women get pregnant all the time, even working women. They'll understand."

He gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her on the back.

"Thanks. I'm not looking forward to it but it has to be done." She rolled her eyes and looked back at Dr. Bjorgman who was now sitting on his rolling doctor's stool.

"Well like I said, everything looks good. Is there anything else that you're noticing or any questions you have?" He leaned over with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together. Elsa liked that was so caring and warm. She normally didn't go to male doctors but he was so highly recommended for his bedside manner and the Scandinavian name, Kristoff Bjorgmam, just sealed the deal for her.

"I have been noticing that I'm really short tempered lately. I get angry so quickly and I've been snapping at Anna. Well mostly Anna but I've also been short with people at work as well. And then like nothing I'll be fine again in no time flat. It's like an emotional roller coaster."

Dr. Bjorgman just smiled and looked as Elsa with his kind brown eyes. "That would be the hormones. It's very common to have mood swing at this point. A lot woman also report crying spells around this time. Other woman also feel an increased sense of libido. Hormones affect everyone differently and maybe for you you're just irritated more easily."

Elsa crossed her legs and readjusted herself on the table. "I haven't been crying but I have been experiencing the...other thing you mentioned." Elsa wasn't exactly someone to kiss and tell, even if it was a clinical setting she rarely talked about her sex life or her desire for sex with anyone else besides Anna and some of her close friends.

Dr. Bjorgman gave her a confused look as he tried to think back to what he had just said. "The increased libido?"

"Yes, that. I haven't even really talked about it with Anna. Not that she'd even be in the mood with the way I've been acting."

"Again, perfectly normal and, with your partner's consent, sex is really good for pregnant woman. I actually have a handout on it if you want to take it home and talk about it with Anna." He slid his chair over to a set of draws and pulled out the handout for Elsa.

"Thanks. When and if it comes up this might come in handy." She folded the paper into thirds and tucked it neatly into her bag. As she stood and walked towards the door Dr. Bjorgman stopped her.

"Elsa don't be too hard on yourself. You've got a lot of changes going on, you're working full time, and you had a pretty rough first couple of months with the morning sickness and all. Tell Anna to give me a call if she has any questions and I'd be happy to talk to her."

"Thanks, I'll try."

* * *

On the drive back from the doctor's Elsa thought of all the possible ways she could break the news to work. She couldn't decide if she should call a meeting and do it in private with her close superiors or just tell everyone all at once at their Monday morning meeting. She sat at her desk and turned her computer on to look at her calendar to see when she could schedule something. As she was scanning the days she noticed a full day blocked out in bright green, which usually meant an out of office day. "Team building retreat." She read out loud. She'd been so preoccupied lately that she had forgotten that they were going up to a coworkers lake house that Friday for a team building event. _This will be perfect. Everyone will be there; it will be casual and relaxed._ Team building events usually consisted of food and different activities and games that were supposed to help everyone get to know each other better. She breathed a sigh of relief as she pictured the event unfolding in her head. Just to be safe she decided to schedule a meeting with the head of the firm to let him know of her plans ahead of time, figuring he would not be pleased to find out in front of everyone else on Friday.

Thursday rolled around and Elsa was finally meeting with her boss. She nervously sat at her desk rubbing her thumb into her palm as she wrung her hands. A nervous habit of hers. All she really had to say was that she was expecting a baby at the end of the summer, just one little line but he stomach was in knots none the less. _9:59, guess I better start walking over there and get this over with._ She walked down the hall to Mr. Bennet's door and took a second to straighten her white blazer and flip her long braid over her shoulder. She raised her hand to the door and knocked twice and immediately went back to wringing her hands. The knock sounding more timid than she had hoped.

"Ahh...Elsa. What a pleasure to see you this morning." Mr. Bennet was tall and burly man, dressed as always in a suit and tie. "So what is it you wanted to see me about this morning?"

He sat back in his chair and motioned for Elsa to have a seat in one of the many guest chairs in his palatial office.

"Um...well I have some news that I wanted to share with everyone at the team building event tomorrow but before I did I wanted to tell you first."

The dark haired man didn't say anything and just leaned forward with questioning eyes. After a moment he finally said something as Elsa appeared to be awaiting his response.

"And that would be..."

"My wife and I are expecting a baby and I'm due sometime towards the end of the summer."

She held her breath and waited for his reply, her mouth still open in anticipation.

"Oh well, this is great news!"

 _Oh thank God he's happy._

Elsa let out a forceful breath of air as she could now feel that oh so heavy weight lifted from her shoulders.

"Well we can talk about the details later and I'm sure you'll also need to let human resources know, but for now let me just say congratulations."

He didn't get up to hug her or anything but this was the best scenario she could have hoped for. He wasn't mad and he didn't make her feel guilty about having a life outside of work for once.

The team building event was and hour drive away and Elsa had plenty of time to think about how she wanted to tell everyone. She wasn't as nervous as she had been telling Mr. Bennet, maybe because she was getting so much practice telling people she was pregnant. With the skyline of the city now in the rearview mirror, it wasn't long before the concrete jungle gave way to tall evergreen trees. Trees that reminded her home, but in a good way.

She pulled up to the large cabin style home and took in the smell of fresh air and pine as she got out and walked to the front door. The street was lined with cars so she figured she must be at the right home. The place was packed with familiar faces and trays of food were everywhere. For the first time in weeks Elsa was so glad to have the smell of food feel pleasant again. She was starving and couldn't wait to get this over with so she could eat to her hearts content. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tiana emerge from the crowd of people.

"Yeah you! Today's the day right?" She nudged Elsa's shoulder and winked.

"Yes and I can't wait to get this off my chest." Elsa looked around the room, thinking about the number of people she was going to have to tell.

"Speaking of chest, what is going on here." Tiana pointed to the buttons on Elsa's blouse that were clearly holding for dear life.

"Oh my God I know. They get bigger every day. It's like they have a mind of their own and it's all I can do to button my shirt in morning." Elsa had already begun to snack off a nearby tray of veggies.

"Listen I have an idea. One of the activities we're doing today is one where you write two things about yourself down on a card and then the cards are read out loud and everyone has to guess who that person is, based on what the card says. You should write that you're pregnant on yours. It's a great way to tell everyone all at once."

Elsa reiterated to what Tiana had just said to herself and thought about it. "That is a great idea. Although, I have no idea what I'm going to write for the second thing." She picked up a carrot and swirled in a tub of ranch dressing.

"Here let me go get you a card and you can put it in with the rest."

Leave it to Tiana to come up with a clever way to help out a girl in need. Tiana returned with a stack of white index card and handed one to Elsa. She knew she wanted the pregnancy to be the second item on her card but was struggling to think of something else to write. Her eyebrows contorted as she sank deeper into thought. Just put anything. It doesn't matter and no one will even remember what the first thing was after they here the second one. She quickly scribbled something down and handed to card back to Tiana.

Feeling a little bit better after getting some food on her stomach, she'd gone back three times to the buffet already, she grabbed a seat next to Tiana in the giant circle of chairs. Elsa started to feel a little nervous but realized she was actually excited at the same time. This was good news for once. She didn't have anything to worry about. Mr. Bennet's assistance Lotty was in charge of reading the cards and Elsa had no idea if he'd told her or not.

After the first few cards were read and people were having a good laugh at trying to guess who each was about, Elsa caught herself having a great time. She was so involved in the activity that she was no longer nervous about the big news she was about to share. Lotty put her hand into the stack of cards and pulled out the next one, reading in her slow southern drawl.

"Okay y'all. This next says 'my favorite time of year is winter..."

"And...I am pregnant."

Lotty gasped after she finished reading and her bright wide eyes looked around the circle of people. Elsa's heart skipped a beat as she reminded herself not to give it away and play cool. But there was nothing she could do about the warmth spreading across her cheeks like a wild fire. She for sure thought her face was beet red and would give herself away in a heartbeat. Suddenly all eyes were shifting around to each woman in the circle, surveying each one for any blossoming signs of motherhood.

"Is it Sarah?" One woman finally guessed. "No way. My boyfriend would kill me." Sarah remarked.

Elsa started to wonder just how long this was going to go on. Tiana must have known that Elsa was dying of anticipation and gave her a look. Other people shot out some guesses but no one was even looking at Elsa. Tiana couldn't take it anymore and finally blurted out.

"It's Elsa!"

Elsa instantly felt every pair of eyes in the room on her. On her stomach to be more exact.

"Really?" Lotty asked.

"It's true. She told me yesterday." Mr. Bennet said proudly.

A murmur of 'awws' and 'congratulations' was followed by clapping as Elsa shyly smiled and took in the admirations.

"Thank you everyone. Yes, it's true. I love winter. No I'm kidding, I do, but I'm also pregnant."

She couldn't resist trying to get a laugh. It felt slightly uncomfortable to be in the spotlight but it felt amazingly good at the same time to feel that everyone was happy for her and wished her nothing but the best. It brought out a softer side of Elsa, who was normally all business at work. Tiana leaned over and whispered into Elsa's ear.

"See that wasn't so bad. And now you don't have to hide anything anymore."

Elsa nodded. "I know, it's so freeing."

* * *

The day had been a complete success and Elsa couldn't wait to get home and tell Anna. The hour long drive felt even longer than it had been on the way up to the lake. Tired but still amped from the day's events, Elsa made her way up the driveway and walked through the front door, eager to see Anna and hold her in her arms.

"Anna?" Her cobalt eyes searched around the house but there was no sign of the redhead. Usually on a Friday night she'd be curled up on the couch grading papers or watching TV.

"I'm up here." Anna yelled from what would be the baby's room upstairs.

The stairs were slowly becoming Elsa's mortal enemy. Climbing a bunch of steps was always the last thing she felt like doing at the end of a long day. But knowing Anna would be at the top helped put an extra pep in her step.

"I had the best time today. I told everyone and they were all so nice about." Elsa had reached the top of the stair and was now rounding the hallway into the still undecorated room.

"You would not believe the-."

She stopped mid-sentence when entered the room and saw what Anna had in the swing.

"What is Lilla doing in there?"

The color drained from Elsa's as she saw her childhood stuffed bear buckled into the swing like a baby.

"Is that her name? Is it Norwegian? What does it mean?"

Anna was just an endless parade of questions and seemed to overlook the angered expression that had overtaken Elsa's face. The blonde had completely done a one eighty in a matter of seconds.

"It means purple. Don't change the subject. Where did you find that?"

Anna was only trying to be playful by asking so many questions but she was now shaken by Elsa's tone. Elsa had dropped her purse in the doorway and was pointing to the little bear with her hand on her hip, as if Anna was being scolded at by a parent.

"I-I found her in a box. I just wanted to see what it would be like to have an actual baby in there and I wanted to practice using the buckles."

"What boxes?" Elsa yelled.

"The ones up stairs. I don't know, I think. It was in the white storage boxes." Anna was competently thrown by Elsa's reaction.

" _My_ boxes. They were in _my_ boxes. The ones I asked you not to open."

Elsa's hands started to shake and she crossed her arms in an effort to hide it from Anna. The redhead stood up from where she had been kneeling over the swing.

"Elsa you need to calm down. I didn't mean any harm and I don't understand why you're so upset."

Elsa took a deep breath and tried to remember the conversation she had with Anna about not snapping at her. But this was really testing her.

"Anna those boxes are not to be opened." Her voice was boarding on shouting.

"Why? What is it you're hiding? You know this is _our_ home. _Our_ home. And I'm actually forbidden from opening something in our own damn home."

"Anna those boxes are the only things left I have from my childhood. It's everything I could get my hands on before I left."

And there it was. The old familiar pain that burned in Elsa's chest. The pain that came whenever she talked about her family. The pain she desperately tried to avoid. Anna put her hands on her hips and walked right up to Elsa.

"Wait a minute. We've been together for six years. And married for three and this is the first time I'm hearing about these boxes. Do you not see what's wrong with this picture?" Anna threw her hands up in frustration.

"I'm not trying to hide it from you I just don't ever look at that stuff. And besides, I did tell you about them when we moved in." Elsa now felt like she was on the defensive.

"Elsa, this has to stop. You can't run away from this the rest of your life. I'm sorry, but the best thing you could do for yourself is to go through all that stuff and have a good cry over it. That can't be any worse than trying to burying all those feeling deep inside you."

Elsa wanted to walk away but that would have only affirmed what Anna had just said about running away. Instead she closed her eyes and swallowed hard, trying desperately to keep the volume of her voice at a reasonable level.

"One day I will okay. But not today."

Elsa started to walk over and take Lilla out of the swing when Anna spun her around and stopped her, grabbing her by the arm.

"No, Elsa. I've been patient enough. I know that opening those boxes would be hard and painful but you wouldn't be doing it alone. I'll be right here. I'll be right by your side to hold you and wipe away every tear. But you have to let me in. You have to face this."

Elsa had never seen Anna so determined about something in their entire relationship. She was now torn between enduring the pain of the past and enduring the pain of the future by hurting Anna. Elsa had never admitted it but it did fill her with shame that she kept so much about her past from Anna. Elsa had never wanted it to come between them, knowing she couldn't handle the emotions after years of numbing and suppressing. She knew what she had to do but couldn't bring herself to say the words. Anna could see the turmoil on Elsa's face and knew she was at war with herself. She took Elsa's hand and interlaced their fingers together, moving closer to look deep into Elsa's sky blue eyes.

"Please do this for me. Just one box. We'll just go through one box of stuff tonight." Anna's voice was soft and angelic.

Elsa tried to will herself to nod 'yes' but was too busy fighting back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

"I know you're scared. But we're going to do this together. Look at what keeping it in is doing to you. Look at what it's doing to us."

Elsa looked into Anna's eyes. They were so full of love and kindness. And somewhere within them she found the courage to nod ' yes.'

"Okay then. Go sit on the couch and I'll go grab one of the boxes. Okay?"

Still unable to talk, Elsa again nodded. As Anna trotted down the steps the basement, Elsa walked downstairs and tried to collect herself on the couch, running her hands through her hair and pushing the loose strands of long bangs back into her braid. There was not one piece of her that wanted to do this for any other reason than for Anna. She looked down at her trembling hands and clenched them into fists, trying to steady them. Anna returned with one of the small white weatherproof boxes. Elsa's heart sank as soon as she laid on eyes on it and her heart began to race, her breathing became heavy.

"Maybe it would be easier if I open it and pull the stuff out." Anna suggested as Elsa nodded.

"You can do this." Anna reassured her and rubbed the top of Elsa's knee.

She looked inside the box and grabbed the first thing she saw, a soft white delicately knitted blanket with an 'E' embroidered on the corner. She lifted the folded up blanket and set it on her lap. As soon as it came into Elsa's vision the tears began to fall and she buried her face in her hands. Out of all the things Anna had to pull out first it had to be Elsa's baby blanket. She hadn't seen it since the day she threw it into the suitcase, knowing one day she might want to wrap her own baby it. That was all it took to break down the walls that Elsa had built so high. It felt like something within her broke and she instantly felt all strength leave her body. She couldn't begin to wrap her mind around the idea of her parents being as happy as her and Anna were to be having a baby, only to throw her out of their lives. Her father's voice echoed in her head. All the horrible things he said to came rushing back. True, they'd never really had much a relationship to begin with, but Elsa wanted nothing more than for him to show her some kind of recognition that she was more than someone to hand the company down to. She'd wanted her mother to fight for her, to stand up for her. But they didn't. They never could. And it broke Elsa's heart. Did they ever think about her? Were their lives any different? These were the questions that always surfaced but she never let her herself think about for too long. Anna didn't say a word and set the blanket on the coffee table. She promised she'd be there for Elsa, and she was. She pulled Elsa's hands away from her face and cradled her in her arms. Elsa's body caved into the redhead's and Anna squeezed her tighter, pressing against the blondes heaving back. Anna's heart felt like it was breaking each time she heard one of Elsa's tiny cries and she stroked the back of Elsa's head, feeling the ridges of her braid. She kissed the back of one of Elsa's ears and softly whispered words of comfort. She'd pushed Elsa far enough and began to feel a sense of regret. With her free hand she put the blanket back in the box and put the top on. And just like she promised, she was right there for Elsa, never letting her go.


	11. Chapter 11

When the tears had finally dried, Anna found herself feeling intense relief and heartbreak at the same time. Relief at the feeling that Elsa's impenetrable walls were finally starting to show signs of coming down. But at what cost? It had been torture watching Elsa breakdown in her arms, even though Anna tried to remind herself that part of this was caused by Elsa's parents. Anna had pushed, and regrettably done so, but she wasn't responsible for what they had put Elsa through. It wasn't until sometime later that Anna started to worry about the physical toll the whole night had taken on Elsa and the baby. Trying her best to remedy the situation, Anna helped Elsa up the stairs and drew her a warm bath, complete with bubbles and those yummy smelling three wick candles Elsa loved to buy.

Elsa sat motionless in the tub amongst a sea of bubbles, curled up as much into ball as her expanding waistline would allow, her braid hanging lifelessly down her pale back. Anna lit a few candles and turned off the lights. Even though Elsa had been crying off and on for over an hour, Anna couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. Her skin was like moonlight in the dimness of the room and her hair still looked gorgeous as ever, even with her braid mussed and half undone. Anna pulled up a small sitting stool next to the side of the tub and grabbed a nearby luffa and some body wash from the corner of the tub. Neither of them said a word while Anna drizzled the body wash over the luffa, brushed Elsa's braid aside and scrubbed little circles over her curved back. She could see the rise and fall of Elsa's back as she breathed, as if she was witnessing her body trying to repair itself before her very eyes. It was slow but deep and Anna didn't know was even still awake or had drifted off. She cupped her hand and splashed Elsa's back with water to rinse of the thick coat of bubbles. When she was done she grabbed Elsa's braid and lovingly took out the elastic and undid the it, running her fingers through the partially damps strands.

"Can I wash your hair?"

Anna asked feeling helpless just sitting and watching as she waited for life to return to Elsa's eyes.

"Yeah. That would be nice."

A fragile smile peeked out from the corner of her mouth as she turned her head to face Anna, laying her cheek against the top of her boney knees. It had been a rough night for sure, but nothing felt better than being cared for by Anna. Elsa knew she'd pushed her out of love. Anna wasn't the kind of person who would purposely cause anyone harm. Anna grabbed a rinsing cup and the bottle of Elsa's shampoo. Elsa's hair was so long and thick that Anna figured it would be best to work her way from the bottom up to get it completely wet. She gathered the blonde locks and poured a cupful of water down Elsa's back. It took three or four scoops of water before her hair was thoroughly wet.

"Here, lean your head back." Anna said softly.

Elsa closed her eyes and arched her back as Anna carefully poured more water over Elsa's hair, using her hand to guide the stream away from Elsa's face. She put the cup down and squirted some of the shampoo onto her hands and began to massage it into Elsa's scalp using light pressure with her fingertips, sending little waves of shivers down Elsa's spine. Anna had been waiting for the right time to say something and couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

"Elsa, I'm sorry about tonight. I'm sorry I pushed you."

Elsa didn't respond right way and just looked forward as Anna continued to work the foaming shampoo into the ends of her hair. After a long drawn out breath Elsa finally replied.

"I understand why you did it. As much as it hurts for me to think about it, it must hurt you just as much to feel shut out." Anna's mouth frowned slightly and she stopped what she was doing.

"I don't feel shut out...entirely. It's more like there's a part of you I don't know. I want to know all of you because I love you. All of you. I just want you to let me in."

Anna reached for the cup and began to rinse Elsa's hair and work in a honey smelling conditioner, accidentally using way too much.

"I know." Elsa was exhausted, emotionally and physically.

There wasn't much more that could be said without feeling like they were belaboring the point.

"Anna, I love you no matter what. Even when you push me. I'm not mad. Just tired."

Elsa's eyes were getting heavier and finally just let them flutter closed. Anna finished rising out the last of the conditioner and wrung out the water from her silky smooth tresses.

"We can talk about this later. Let's get you, I mean you _two_ to bed."

Elsa smiled, uncurled her body and stood up to wrap herself in a giant white fluffy towel Anna was holding out for her.

"You didn't even let me tell you about my day." Elsa's playfulness was finally returning, a tired playfulness at best.

"I'll tell you what. Tomorrow I will make breakfast, you can sleep in...obviously, and you can tell me everything about the event. And I promise I will just listen the entire time." She said with a gleaming smile as she blew out the flickering candles.

"You not talk. Don't make promises you can't keep." Elsa smirked as she grabbed Anna's hand and lead her to the bedroom.

Things were starting to feel better but Elsa couldn't wait to get a good nights sleep and put this whole day behind her.

* * *

"Morning sunshine."

Anna opened her eyes to find Elsa's wide eyed face directly in front her. She was biting her lip like she was trying to keep her smile from curling up too high, fluttering those flirtatious eyelashes of hers. Anna could feel Elsa's feet lightly rubbing against her own in a rhythmic fashion.

"You look really happy about something. Did you have a good dream or something?"

Elsa didn't even say anything and just enthusiastically nodded her head.

"Oh I see." Anna was quickly starting to put the pieces together.

The only time Elsa was in this good of a mood in the morning was when she was craving some Anna time. She was still bleary eyed and really tired and hadn't caught up to Elsa's excitement level, who was leaps and bounds ahead of Anna. The blonde nuzzled her nose into the crook of Anna's neck and began to press wet kisses onto a soft spot near Anna throat while the redhead rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Mmmm...mmmm." Breathy moans began to vibrate across Anna's neck.

 _Wow she's already moaning. She must be really worked up._

Elsa slowly worked her way up to Anna's ear and licked around the shell of it before she whispered to the redhead.

"I was dreaming about you."

Anna let out a nervous laugh.

"I hope it was me."

Elsa was coming on so strong that it was bringing out Anna's awkward side. She was really enjoying watching Elsa get herself all hot and bothered and just decided to let her do her thing. Elsa's free hand began to slowly skim up Anna's stomach and under her shirt, tickling her ever so slightly. And she didn't stop there. Elsa grabbed Anna's breast and began to knead and lightly pinch.

"Oh..ahh...wow that must have been some dream. Not that I'm complaining."

Elsa's long blonde hair was right under Anna's nose and she leaned in to soak up Elsa's scent.

"Oh God your hair smells so good."

Elsa laughed and looked up at Anna's teal eyes.

"That's because you used so much conditioner last night."

The smell pretty much provided the boost Anna needed to try and catch up to Elsa. Before she knew it they both had their hands all over each other while Elsa feverishly kissed Anna. It was like Anna was the air Elsa needed in order to breathe. The redhead couldn't help but notice that Elsa's breasts had gotten bigger. A lot bigger. Maybe even a full size or more. And they felt really good underneath Anna's grip.

Things hadn't progressed to this level in quite some time. Elsa was usually too nauseous or tired the past month to even consider sex. But with the morning sickness now subsiding, Anna figured Elsa must have rediscovered her urges and maybe gained some new ones in the process. As soon as Anna felt like they were on the same page, Elsa kept taking things to the next level. Her breathing was labored and she was moaning like they were already having sex. She pulled away from Anna and looked at her with hooded eyes as she sat up and took off her shirt. Anna had to readjust her eyes as Elsa's belly suddenly reminded her she was pregnant. It hadn't really come up before because Elsa hadn't been showing until the past few weeks. Not only that but Anna skipped the chapters about having sex while pregnant because she figured that it wasn't going to be happening for a while. Plus, it only covered sex between a man and woman, which didn't help Anna at all.

Things were moving really fast now and Anna's head was starting to spin. Elsa was craving Anna like she had an itch and Anna was the only one who could scratch it. Anna went inside her head and started thinking about how much of this the baby was hearing or feeling. It was almost like having a third person in the room and the only one who seemed to be bothered by it was Anna, clearly as Elsa was now down to just underwear and thrusting her self against Anna- who still had on all of her clothes.

"Elsa...Elsa...slow down. You're going a million miles an hour here." She grabbed hold of Elsa's shoulders and tried to push her back but the blonde wasn't budging.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it." She was speaking in between kisses she was planting on Anna's chest, leaving red marks everywhere.

"I think it might be the hormones because I keep having these dreams." She continued as she pulled up Anna's shirt and started kissing up the side of her ribs.

"W-what kind of dreams?" Anna stuttered as she was almost afraid to ask.

"Naughty dreams." Elsa had stopped kissing Anna and was looking up at her. Elsa's eyes were dark and hungry.

"Anna _please_."

To say Anna was hesitant was an understatement. Elsa wasn't even giving her a minute to think. She didn't know what Elsa's body could handle and she couldn't help but be a little weirded out by the thought of their baby being right in the middle of them.

"Elsa I can't."

Anna felt terrible to be the one to bring things to a screeching halt but a conversation about this really needed to happen first.

"What's wrong?" Elsa reached out to hold Anna's hand but the redhead quickly scooted to the edge of their king sized bed.

"Nothing's wrong I just...don't want to hurt you or baby or... I don't know this is...different." Anna rubbed her palm against her forehead, trying to put her feelings into words the best she could.

"Wait no, no, no. Sex is good for me. Dr. Bjorgman said it's fine. It helps fight cramping and fatigue, and it's aerobic."

Elsa wished she could remember where she put that damn handout he gave her.

"Yeah at the rate you were going I could see how it would be very aerobic. But what if baby can hear? What if it gets scared or something? What if it thinks I'm hurting you?!"

"What?" Elsa laughed a little as she spoke.

"Anna. The baby doesn't know what we're doing and it doesn't really care. Pregnant people have sex all the time and their kids are fine."

Anna was thinking about what Elsa had said as she drummed her fingers steadily over her chin. It made sense but didn't make her feel any less guilty. Elsa was starting to feel discouraged at the amount of time Anna was taking to think.

"So are we just going to wait another four and a half months to have sex? I have to wait another six weeks after the baby is born."

No sex for five to six months didn't sound realistic or good for their relationship.

"No, that sounds crazy. I'm sorry I just didn't think about this before. But what you're saying makes sense. It's not that I don't want to have sex with you, there's just a lot more to consider now. You need to be really vocal with me if something hurts or anything okay?"

Elsa tried to contain her excitement as she could tell Anna was beginning to come around.

"Yes, I promise. Just as long as you don't treat me like some breakable thing."

"I'll try not to but you have to understand where I'm coming from." Anna firmly pointed a finger at Elsa.

"I understand. Can we be done talking and start doing now? Please, I feel like I'm on fire and I'm going to burst if you don't kiss me." Elsa had flopped back down on the mattress, blonde locks of hair splaying everywhere.

"Okay okay. Just slow down." Anna tried to emphasise.

Anna now saw her role in this whole thing as if she were getting Elsa something from the drugstore or propping a pillow under her feet. This woman clearly had needs that needed to be met and Anna was going to be there for her. It was her duty, whether they were on the same page or not. Besides, there could be worse things her wife could be pushing her into.

 _Okay, can't lay on top. How am I gonna do this?_

Anna was trying to figure out the best position to start in.

 _On the side. Yes, genius Anna._

Anna thought this would be the best position for Elsa to just lie back and enjoy herself but she was quickly realizing that Elsa wanted to be an active participant and would not lay still.

"Hey, jumping bean. I know you're very eager but you need to lay still if you want me to actually participate here. There's a whole other obstacle I have to think about here." Anna glanced down at Elsa's stomach and then back at Elsa to emphases her point.

"Sorry. I'll try. Please, please, please continue."

With Elsa finally still Anna felt like she had a better handle on things and she could think.

"Good, just relax. Just let me take care of you."

That alone made Elsa's heart rate speed up, which only made it harder to obey Anna's wish and relax.

Feeling rather unsexy in her worn out t-shirt, Anna pulled the ragged thing up and over head, tossing it to the floor. She then curled her body up against the side of Elsa's, spoon style. The blonde's body was radiating with heat. Now that Anna was back in control, she was going to take this a little slower. The change in pace showed on Elsa's face as an uncertainty had strained her fragile features. Anna brought her hand up to Elsa's face and gently began to caress it, running her fingers over the tiny baby hairs of Elsa's hairline. Silence filled the room and the only thing that could be heard were their tiny breaths. Anna brought herself closer and kissed Elsa's angel soft lips, sweeping her tongue across the blonde's bottom lip. What had started out as soft and patient kisses quickly turned into deeper and needier kisses by Elsa. Feeling a little more aroused and comfortable, Anna felt like she had made Elsa wait long enough.

"Roll over on you back." She whispered.

Elsa rolled over and pulled her hair out from under herself, flipping it off to the side. Assuming a position that felt more natural, Anna hovered over Elsa and continued to kiss her as she propped herself up on one elbow and ran a hand up and over the blonde curvaceous body. Elsa's skin had always felt great under Anna's hand, but the suppleness of her curves was a whole new sensation the made Anna's hands tingle with pleasure. Elsa was already back to moaning and panting and Anna thought it was a wonder she didn't pass out from hyperventilating.

"Not to break the mood, but this is your reminder to communicate with me." She said in a low and whispered voice.

Anticipation was getting the best of Elsa, as a nod was the only response she could manage to give. Anna knelt down and quickly slid off Elsa's underwear before crouching off to the side, her face over Elsa's. Cautiously, she ran her fingers over Elsa's center. Nothing felt any different, as far as Anna could tell. Elsa gritted her teeth and gasped out of pleasure as Anna motioned to enter her. All the while searching Elsa's face for any signs of discomfort. Not waiting for Anna, Elsa starting pushing hard against her hand, putting her own hand flush against the headboard to allow for better thrust. They weren't strangers to rough sex but Anna was having trouble enjoying herself as she continued to worry about hurting either one of them, even though Elsa was the one being forceful.

After a certain point there was nothing Anna could do to slow Elsa down from her own pace. And just as Anna thought she might, Elsa was at least getting an aerobic workout. Anna didn't need any hint about how close Elsa was from reaching her peak based on the increasing loudness and pitch of her whimpers and moans. Elsa had her fair share of times where she was the loud one in bed, but this first time Anna had ever heard her down right scream as she hit her peak. She could only look on in amazement and wonder just how intense it must have been as Elsa arched her back and her body jerked several times. Shaking and breathing like she'd just run a marathon, Elsa cupped her hand against Anna's cheek and pulled her closer for a kiss.

"Thank you."

Elsa was so breathless Anna could barely hear what she had said. She wanted to say, ' _your welcome_ ' but really Elsa had done most of the work. Anna had never ended sex on such a confused note. They'd been together for six years and had perfected the choreography of their lovemaking to the point where they were practically mind readers. But this was completely different and Anna was utterly confused.

* * *

By Monday Anna was glad to be back at work, as it provided a much needed distraction after the roller coaster of a weekend. Her class had just ran out the door for morning recess, leaving her with a few much needed minutes to collect herself. Enjoying the silence she picked up an eraser and began to erase the morning's English lesson from the blackboard. Alone with her thoughts she couldn't help but think about how Elsa was doing if she herself felt a bit jarred from the events of the past few days. They'd gone from an emotional breakdown to fiery sex in just under 12 hours, not to mention more tension and arguing on Sunday. Anna was always one to keep her head above the water and stay optimistic, but this was beginning to become too much for her to handle on her own. She let out a forceful sigh and looked over her shoulder to the clock on the wall. There was still another ten minutes left of recess and she was pretty sure she couldn't hold out until lunch to call Dr. Bjorgman like Elsa had suggested. Putting the eraser back on the ledge of the board, Anna went to her desk and rummaged through the top draw for cell phone.

"Hi this is Anna Arendelle for Dr. Bjorgman."

The disturbing sound of elevator music came over the phone as she waited on hold, trying not to become even more stressed at the sight of the disheveled stack of papers on her desk that still needed to be graded.

"Anna, Hi. I'm glad you called. How can I help you?" His voice was so strong and calming and Anna couldn't help but they think sure picked the right guy to help them through this crazy time.

"Well...um, Elsa had told me to call but I actually wanted to call you myself, not just because she told me to because...I'm sorry. Anyways, I don't know what to do or what more I could do but things are really getting weird at home. I can't tell what's hormones anymore but Elsa is just all over the place. Granted I probably didn't help my forcing to her to drag her skeletons out the closet...not real ones, I mean figuratively. Obviously..."

Dr. Bjorgman interrupted Anna to save her from herself.

"Anna...Anna, it's okay. When I saw Elsa the other day she said she was experiencing a lot of conflicting emotions and we talked a little about that. Truth be told, having a baby is not easy on couples. It'll test you but it will also bring you closer in the end. And most of it is hormones but having a baby brings up a lot of things, for both of you I'm sure."

Anna held the phone close to her ear and could feel a sense of calm coming over her as he spoke.

"Listen there's not much you can do to make Elsa change at this time but there is something that might help you. A friend of mine runs a support group for non-pregnant partners. It's a great source of support and I'm sure you're running into a lot of issues that aren't talked about in any of your books."

Anna sat up straight and her eyes perked up.

"Yes, exactly! That's one of the problems I've been having is that everything I read is aimed at heterosexual couples. There wasn't anything in there that helped me with how to have sex with your pregnant partner or how to cope with not being the pregnant one. I could go on and on here."

Dr. Bjorgman chuckled at the way Anna always expressed herself so passionately.

"Well I think you'd really like this group. I'll have the receptionist call you and give you all the details. And Anna, please tell Elsa the truth about where you're going. Don't tell her you're going somewhere else because all my couples do that and it doesn't go over well. You're going to become a more supportive wife. She'll understand."

Anna rolled her eyes and couldn't believe how well he seemed to know her already.

"I feel better already. Thanks for the help doc."

* * *

Anna weaved through the ugly grey hallways of the hospital, frantically trying to find the room Dr. Bjorgman's receptionist had told Anna the group was meeting in. And in true Anna fashion, she was running late. Finally she found the meeting room filled with chairs forming a large circle and a table of drinks and snacks off to the side. Even if she was running late, Anna always made time for free food and sprinted over to grab a bottle of water and a small plate of chocolate chip cookies. As soon as she sat down she stuffed one of the moist and chewy cookies into her mouth, famished as she didn't have time to sit down and eat dinner with Elsa.

"Oh, looks like we have someone new today. Would you like to introduce yourself?" An older woman with short curly brown hair was waiting for Anna's response.

With her mouth full of cookie, Anna tried to swallow hard and clear her voice, making a gurgling sound.

"Sorry...I just downed a whole cookie. Um...well let's see. Hi, I'm Anna Arendelle. My wife is thirteen weeks pregnant. We'd been trying for almost a year with In Vitro and I couldn't get pregnant, but she did, of course, and now she's due at the end of the summer. I came today because...I'm having a really hard time with all of the new changes. Sometimes I feel like I can't tell Elsa everything I'm feeling or thinking because I don't want to upset her. I'm also still dealing with a lot of weird jealousy issues about her being the one to get to experience all this and I won't, ever. Which is really confusing because I'm so happy that we're having a baby and watching her be pregnant is amazing but a part of me is sad that it will never be me."

The group leader sympathetically smiled at Anna.

"You've come to right place Anna. A lot people here are feeling the same things you are and this is a place for you to talk about those feelings."

Anna looked around the circle of women, each smiling as if they could related to what she'd said.

"Thanks I could really use someone to talk to." She twisted the cap off the top of the water bottle and took a few sips to wash the rest of the cookie down.

"Please go on. It sounds like you have a lot on your mind." The other members of the group looked at Anna with eager eyes.

"Uhh...I'm just going to jump right in and be really frank here. I literally went from holding my wife while she cried her eyes out over something I forced her to do, to having her beg me to have rough sex with her the next morning. I mean it was primal. How in the hell does someone go from devastated to horny so quickly?"

Anna's voice was getting louder and her hands were flying about all over the place as made an endless flow of gestures. There was a small collected chuckle from the group.

"You're lucky. My partner won't even let me touch her. She doesn't even want to think about sex." Replied one of the members.

The group leader smiled and brought her attention back to Anna who was now feeling somewhat luckier knowing that her wife was at least begging her to touch her.

"Anna it's really common for women to have an increased sex drive at the beginning of the second trimester. For starters, there's a lot more blood flow throughout the body, allowing your wife to be much more response to any sort of arousal. Secondly, and I'm sure you've heard this a million times already, it's hormonal."

Anna continued. "Yeah but I can't find anything that tells me how to have sex with your pregnant wife when you're both woman. Like, I had no idea what to do...what not to do. And it's not like she was giving me anytime to think. I felt like a high school virgin flying by the seat of my pants or something."

The group leader continued to smile and nod and couldn't but laugh at how animated Anna was. It was as if each word had it's own unique facial express to go with it.

"I have some resources I can give you before you leave today that will help you with the lack of same-sex information. But let me just say that from your wife's point of view, this can be the best time of a woman's life to have sex. Woman who are pregnant can have longer, more intense orgasms and even multiple orgasms."

Anna's mouth fell open and she wasn't sure if she was more shocked or jealous.

"Holy cow, I guess I'd be begging for it too."

The group laughed in unison.

"You've made it through one of the hardest parts. Morning sickness is really trying on a woman, but the second trimester is the most pleasant. She'll start getting more energy and she's not big enough yet to feel physical pain or discomfort from the weight of the baby. And it sounds like she's very much into being affectionate with you and with some help and support, this could be a really great time for both of you."

The pinched look Anna had been wearing on her face melted into a relaxed smile. The crease between her brows smoothed out for the first time in weeks and she didn't feel as alone anymore.

* * *

Anna was in such a good mood she literally skipped up the driveway and swung open the front door like someone straight out of a musical, complete with a melodic, "I'm home!" Elsa was sprawled out on the couch in a pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt surfing on her laptop.

"I'd ask how it went but I can tell from your need to burst into song that it went just fine."

Anna took off her jacket and set her things down before she continued to sashay her way over to Elsa, kissing her on her pillowy soft head.

"Yes, I learned sooooo much and it felt so good to get all that off my chest. Not that I had a lot on my chest, well I did but not because of you. Well...some you, not all."

 _There_ was her adorable Anna. The rambling spunky redhead that had been taken over by stress and tension the past few weeks. Elsa did the only thing she could to stop Anna's rambling and she planted a juicy kiss on her lips mid sentence, stopping the redhead in her tracks as she pulled Anna in by her braids.

"Yes, we talked about _that_ too. You and your needs, shall we say."

Elsa cocked her head looking like a confused puppy.

" _My_ needs. You mean you don't have any of your own?" Giving Anna a smirk.

God it felt so good to have playful Elsa back, Anna thought to herself.

"I do but let's be honest, no one can keep up with you these days. I haven't seen you like this since Hawaii when you wouldn't let me leave the room for two days."

Elsa grinned at the memory of one of their first trips as a couple.

"Oh yeah I remember that. That was _fun_." Her grin became mischievous as Anna realized she had just added fuel to Elsa's fire.

"So...can we?"

Elsa was motioning with her head to the bedroom and rubbing little circles with her thumbs over Anna's braids as she them in her hands.

"You're like the energizer bunny. You're not even the least bit tired?" Elsa didn't break eye contact with Anna and tucked her chin down a bit lower.

"Un uh." She shook her head as the grin crept even higher up her angelic face.

"Okay fine but just once because I have papers to grade and I'm already behind from going to the group."

Elsa leapt off the couch and took Anna's hand in her own as she lead her to the staircase.

"Once is fine. Besides, you'll need your energy for tomorrow morning." Anna groaned as Elsa drug her lazily up the stairs like a bag full of sand.

"Ugh Elsa...there is no pleasing you." Elsa giggled as they reached to the top of the stairs and looked back at Anna as they made their way down the hall to the bedroom.

"Actually, I was thinking about pleasing you first missy."


	12. Chapter 12

With a renewed burst of energy Elsa woke up early, enjoying the sight of a peacefully sleeping Anna as she sat on the edge of the bed tying her tennis shoes. A small trail of drool was pooling down from Anna's mouth and onto the pillow, accompanied by the sound of light snoring.

Elsa was prepped and ready for a leisurely morning walk around the neighborhood in her black workout capris and a dark purple running jacket, water bottle in hand as she lifted herself off the bed and headed towards the door. She stopped in the threshold of the doorway, turning her head back to get one more look at Anna who was sprawled out on her side of the bed like she was attempting to make snow angels in her sleep.

Elsa would all too often creep out early in the morning to have some much needed alone time to clear her mind and just enjoy some peace and quiet. But for some reason this time she couldn't bring herself leave Anna behind, even if she was sound asleep. She walked back to Anna and gently tapped her shoulder to rouse her, mission impossible but worth a shot.

"Hey, wake up." She whispered gently into Anna's ear. Anna's only response was some incoherent babbling as she pulled out a strand of copper hair that had been trapped in the corner of her mouth.

"I'm going for a walk. Do you want to come?" There was still no reply from the slumbering redhead.

"Okay you sleep. I'll be back later."

Somewhere in the midst of her dreaming Anna was able to catch a few words and slowly put it together in head that Elsa was leaving. "Naaa no. Don't go." Anna's eyes weren't even open and she was blindly trying to grab at Elsa with a drooping hand.

"Anna if you get up you can come and we can talk...if you want. About whatever is on your mind." As good as the idea of sleeping in with the entire king bed to herself sounded, having some quality time with Elsa was even more appealing. Plus, it involved exercise and after downing half a carton of ice cream the night before Anna figured it couldn't hurt.

"Alriiiight. I'm up." Anna said as she stretched her arms above her head and let out a drawn out yawn.

"Come on sleepy head. Go get dressed." Elsa gave Anna a quick kiss on her forehead.

Lucky for Elsa Anna didn't nearly take as long to get ready, for anything really. Elsa would prep for hours for events whereas Anna seemed to get ready in almost no time at all. Elsa just assumed it was due to the fact that Anna always seemed to have just a bit more energy and certain gusto for life. Soon enough they were headed arm in arm out the door and down the street, stopping at the corner to decide if they wanted to head towards the park or a nearby river walk. Knowing that there was a coffee shop at the end of the river walk, Anna ultimately won out and swung Elsa in that direction.

* * *

It was a perfect late winter morning; the air was crisp and cool but the sight of budding trees were pleasant reminders that spring was just around the corner. It was still too cold for poor Anna, who was wearing a down jacket and clinging to Elsa as a source of warmth.

"I love the fact that not only do you ever seem to not get cold but that being pregnant makes you even warmer. Seriously, you're like a fire, I could toast a marshmallow next to you."

Anna tried to talk through her chattering teeth as she felt a chilling sting on the backs of her reddening ears.

"You'll warm up as you walk. And if that doesn't work we'll get you some coffee that's hotter than the center of the sun."

Elsa put her arms around Anna and tried to warm her up by rubbing her briskly acrossAnna's side. After a few blocks Anna released Elsa's arm from her death grip and held Elsa's hand in her gloved one as they walked along.

"Um...so I wanted to ask you how the group was going. You've been a few times now, right?" Elsa couldn't ask about going to group without feeling a sense of shame, feeling like she was the main cause for Anna's need to go.

"Yeah three times now, I think. I really like it, everyone there always has great things to say and they're sooooooo understanding." Anna's face lit up as she talked and Elsa found herself caught in a swirl of mixed feelings.

Not only did she feel guilty for turning into a raging case of hormones and making life more miserable for Anna, but now she was getting comfort and sympathy from other people and not her. Not wanting to ruin Anna's newfound source of strength, she swallowed hard and put on the best happy face she could.

"That's great. I'm really happy that you're benefiting from it. Sounds like there's a lot of very understanding people there."

Anna rolled her eyes and gave Elsa a look of utter confusion.

"Did you just read that off a cue card or something? That sounded so forced."

Elsa eyes widened and her mouth dropped opened at the surprise of the insinuation, not that it was untrue.

"I know you better than that. You can't hide anything from me. You don't like me going to the group? Is that it?"

Anna wasn't even looking at where she walking and stared straight at Elsa, awaiting her reply. Tongue tied, Elsa couldn't think how to word what she was thinking without hurting Anna's feeling or belittling the group she found so enjoyable. "If you don't want me to go I..." Elsa cut her off.

"No, I want you to go." Elsa's tone didn't seem to match what she was saying at all and Anna stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

"It doesn't sound like it. What did I do wrong?" Anna's face was beginning to contort with frustration. Elsa was now well aware that she was making her problem feel like Anna's problem. The same old pattern of arguing that had pushed Anna into having to go the group in the first place.

"Stop, no. You did absolutely nothing wrong. I do really want you to go. Clearly, you need it to put up with me." She took a deep breath and a small cloud of condensation formed when she exhaled. "It's me. I'm mad at myself for making you have to go there. And I'm mad that total strangers make you feel better and I don't."

Anna's frustration all but disappeared as soon as she saw Elsa bottom lip puff out into a pout. Even Elsa's pouty face was adorable. Anna lifted her gloved hand to stroke Elsa's flushed cheek.

"Hey don't forget that a lot of this is temporary. You're not going to be pregnant forever and who knows, you might start feeling better this trimester. As rough as the past month has been, it's still a small price to pay for what we're getting, remember?"

Her hand drifted down from Elsa's cheek and swept around the curve of Elsa's belly. "Look how beautiful this is." Glancing down to where her hand was caressing, knowing their baby was snuggled up inside. "Please don't be so hard on yourself."

Elsa's lips pursed into a tight line as she nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry." Linking her arm back around Anna's, they continued down the sidewalk.

"Speaking of baby, in a few weeks we have to go back to see Oaken for the anatomy scan and genetic testing. But they emailed me and asked me if we wanted to find out the baby's sex during the appointment. Which isn't something we've talked about."

"I don't want to find out." Anna said matter-of-factly. "You don't? W-why?" Anna didn't have to ask Elsa, she could tell from her reaction that she did want to find out. "Because Elsa, this is the biggest surprise you could have in your entire life." Elsa's eyes were darting back and forth as she tried to stomach what Anna was saying. She did in fact want to find out. Elsa was so type A that she needed to know these things in advanced. She wasn't as keen on surprises as Anna was.

"Surprise? It's a boy or a girl. A surprise would be like some third thing. For some reason I thought we'd be in agreement on this. Besides, you'll still have the surprise of finding out who the baby looks like."

Anna's pace was picking up which could only mean that she was not going to back down from her position. "Elsa, listen: you get to be pregnant and experience all that comes with it. Good or bad. I don't, so the least you could do is let me have this one thing. I want it to be a surprise."

"But Anna I wanted to plan out color schemes for the room and pick a name and...I don't know...plan." Poor Elsa found herself unable to hold a candle to Anna's feistiness. Nothing she said could be a better reason that what Anna had already stated.

"There are plenty of neutral color schemes. And you're a brilliant designer. I'm sure you'll think of something." Anna gloatingly patted Elsa on the back.

"Fine. I'll make it work."

Elsa gritted her teeth as the visions of the perfect boy and girl rooms faded from her mind. The only thing that helped calmed her was that Anna had been entirely correct when she said she didn't get to experience being pregnant. And of course, how could she not give Anna whatever she wanted to try and make up for that fact. She did know somewhere in the back of her mind that all of this must be difficult for Anna deal with, watching Elsa experience something Anna had looked forward to her entire life. But it was the first time Elsa really started to reflect on that.

"Anna, you know I wish it could have been you." Her words were quiet.

"I know that." Anna looked at Elsa and gave her a small smile. "But at the same time, you can't deny that you actually like being pregnant. Don't let the fact that I can't take away from your enjoyment." Elsa's tried to smile but her lips pressed back into a line instead.

"Oh God finally, coffee." Anna released Elsa's hand and hurried into the coffee shop. By the time Elsa caught up to her Anna was already rattling off her order. Anna was the only person Elsa had ever known to order a latte with whipped cream on top in addition to foam.

"Elsa what are you having?" Elsa looked like deer caught in the headlights. It had been months since she'd even stepped foot in a coffee shop, being that all caffeine was now off limits.

"I don't even know if there's anything I can get." Her eyes were frantically scanning the menu, nothing of which said decaf.

"What can she have that doesn't have caffeine?" Anna said to the barista, coming to Elsa's rescue.

"We can make anything decaf." The barista replied as Elsa furrowed her brows.

"Sorry. She's a little picky but it's because she's pregnant." Anna couldn't help but be just a little embarrassed.

"Gotcha." The barista winked back at Anna. "We have a number of different teas that are naturally caffeine free, as well as our hot apple cider."

The sound of sweet spicy goodness was enough to elicit a gasp from Elsa. "Yes, that. Hot apple cider sounds really good."

"Great and what was the name on that?" The barista readied his pen against a cup.

Anna chimed in first. "Natasha."

It was the small things in life that gave Anna pleasure and for some reason nothing was more fun than giving baristas fictitious names. To Anna, it was like taking on a secret identity and pretending she was someone else for a brief moment.

"And the cider is for Elsa." The blonde said rather bluntly.

The two sat down at a small round table near the window. "Natasha? What are we Russian today?" Elsa chuckled.

"I was watching Sex and the City reruns last night and Big's wife Natasha was in one of them."

"Ah, I see." Elsa replied, Anna sure knew how to keep life interesting.

"What day do you go see Dr. Bjorgman again?" Anna tried to steer the conversation into a more serious direction for once.

"Tuesday at one. Remember when I told you and you said you couldn't come because of testing."

Anna squinted her eyes as she tried to recall the conversation. "Oh that's right. But you're just going in to check on the placenta, not a whole check-up right?"

"Right. It better be nice and high because I really don't want to be confined to a bed for three days." Her eyes rolled at the thought of being confined with little to no entertainment.

"Yeesh, that would be so boring. Someone in group said that this is around the time you can start to feel the baby move. Have you felt anything yet?"

Elsa looked at Anna with a puzzle look. "No, and if I had don't you think I would have told the second it happened silly?"

"Well obviously. I guess I just meant have you felt anything different?"

Elsa crossed her arms in front of her chest, taking a moment to think. "Not really. I keep waiting for something to happen but it's usually just my stomach growling or something. I want to feel it so badly."

Anna was grinning like a fool just thinking about feeling that first little kick against her hand, but was brought back to Earth by the barista's booming voice.

"Natasha and Elsa!" Neither one could figure out why they were yelling out their names when they were the only people in there.

"That would be you, Natasha." Elsa smirked and gave Anna a light pat on her rear as she walked by Elsa to get their drinks. Anna returned rather quickly and Elsa almost wondered if there was something wrong.

"Look what it says on your cup." Anna turned removed the sleeve of the cup and turned it towards Elsa's.

"'For the new mom to be, Elsa'. Aww that's so sweet." Elsa turned and waved at the barista, mouthing the words thank you. "Wait, how did he know?"

"I told him. Someone had to explain why you were about to have a panic attack over what to order." Anna teasingly stuck out her tongue before sipping on her scolding hot beverage.

"Well, thanks for looking out for me Natasha." Darting her tongue back at Anna.

They sat and chatted for a while but mostly just listened to the jazz music blaring from the overhead speakers, enjoying their drinks. Finishing off her drink with one last swig, Anna helped Elsa out of her chair and they headed back down the river walk and towards home.

Just a few blocks shy of their house, Anna noticed Elsa was starting to get really smiley and...flirty. They weren't talking and a game of eye glancing had begun. As soon as Anna would try to catch Elsa's steeling blue eyes leering at her they would dart away. Their little game continued until they came to a crosswalk and Anna demanded to know what was going on.

"What is with you? You're all googly eyed." No sooner did Anna finish her sentence did Elsa abruptly push Anna up against the light post, grabbing her by the collar of her jacket and locking their lips in a deep kiss. When Elsa pulled away Anna had to gasp for air.

"Elsa we're outside! People we know could see us!"

Making the blonde aware that their display of affection was public only seemed to turn her on more. "I don't care. Let them see." She mewled as she slipped her tongue back in between Anna's resistant lips.

"Our neighbors, people we live next to could see us."

"Well, then they'll know we have a healthy and happy marriage." Elsa giggled this time leaning back in to continue assaulting Anna with her lips.

"Oh my goodness let's just get you home, in a hurry." The crosswalk sign changed and they scurried home as quickly as they could.

When they walked in the door clothes immediately started to fly everywhere. Anna knew they weren't even going to make it to the bedroom; she was barely lucky enough to get her horny little wife back in the house.

At least she was feeling more in control of the situation, armed with the knowledge she gained from group and the various websites they recommended. She was more than ready to take on Elsa's insatiable appetite, no longer afraid of what not to do; she'd taken the leader's advice and decided she was going to enjoy what could be the best sex of their lives, well at least Elsa's.

With the extra caffeine boost from her latte still coursing through her body, Anna was able to get her clothes off first and look around for the nearest possible place to make this escapade happen. Elsa was struggling to get her bright blue sports bra off but managed to slip it over her shoulder and sling shot it off in a way that made Anna's head whip around to watch it fly over the couch.

"Come here."

Anna motioned for Elsa to follow her and led her by the hand into the kitchen. Both completely naked, Elsa tiptoed behind having no idea what Anna was up to but was dying to find out.

The kitchen was laid out in a large square design, bordered by wide dark grey granite counter tops with an island in the center. Anna originally thought the island would be a great place but the hanging pots and pans overhead would be in the way. Instead she backed Elsa up against the side of the counter and released Elsa's hair from her braid. If Elsa needed sex, Anna needed Elsa's hair. It was that simple.

"Sit up on the edge." Anna whispered. Elsa put her hands on the lip of the smooth granite and let Anna help lift her up onto the counter. Anna placed her hands on Elsa's knees and parted them, making room for herself as she grabbed hold of Elsa's rear and pressed her body up against Anna's freckled torso.

Elsa's eyes were wide, eagerly waiting for Anna's next move. She'd been so impressed up to this point, and it was clear to her that Anna had been doing her homework.

"Just relax and lean back on your hands if you need the extra support." Silenced by anticipation, Elsa nodded just once. Anna slowly leaned in and placed her hand on Elsa's neck, just behind her ear, and captured her pouty lower lip in a kiss that was the first of a series of deeper and lengthier ones. Elsa was moaning up a storm that was like music to Anna's ears, she placed both of her hands on Elsa's lower stomach and let them roam up to Elsa's supple breasts.

"Sensitive?" Anna whispered quickly before returning to their kissing.

Sex may have felt better for Elsa but Anna's hands were screaming with joy at the fullness of each breast. She was beginning to understand more and more just what the heck John Mayer was talking about when he said, "your body is a wonderland."

Everything was made better by how badly Elsa craved Anna's touch, and it made Anna feel so good to be needed in such a way. Ghosting her hand down Elsa's shivering body, she spread her fingers and let her hands rest on the sides of Elsa's swollen belly. Somehow Anna was now able to take pleasure in the beauty of her wife's pregnant body and not let herself get distracted by the idea of a small someone listening in on them.

Anna grabbed a hand towel from the sink behind her and laid it on the floor, kneeling down so that she was eye level with Elsa's glistening heat. Elsa instinctively scooted closer to the edge of the counter and placed her hands behind her as Anna had suggested, bracing herself for what she knew all too well was coming next. Anna licked her lips and softly kissed the welcoming warmth between Elsa's thighs.

The shuttering sensation of soft licks and kisses caused Elsa to arch her back and jut her hips forward with a sharp thrust. Normally Anna was a patient lover and liked to take her time tasting her beloved wife, but Elsa would have none of that. When her hormones kicked in it was a race to the finish line. Quickening her pace, Anna made a few sizzling circles around Elsa's entrance and thrust a flexed tongue into her wetness.

"Nghaa...Anna!" Elsa's exasperations were bordering on screaming. If she wasn't breathing so hard she would have been.

As Anna plunged two fingers into Elsa's core, Elsa began rhythmically thrusting into Anna's hand. A blonde curtain of wavy hair was bouncing off her back as she arched even more, tilting her head back to let out a rather guttural moan as Anna sucked on her sensitive and throbbing bundle.

Being the competitive person she was, Anna had made it a secret mission of hers to try and get Elsa to reach the promised land of multiple orgasms ever since she'd heard about it in group. She knew the first one was on the horizon when she looked up at Elsa's writhing body only to hear her whimpers increasing in pitch.

"Uh God...Anna!" The sweet freedom of numbing pleasure erupted with a burst so great it made Elsa's feet slam into the lower cabinet when her body quaked from exultation.

Anna smirked with satisfaction. _One down. One to go_. When her eyes finally unscrewed themselves, Elsa was a little taken aback to see Anna still down there working away.

"W-what are doing?" Elsa asked nearly out of breath.

"Trying something. Just go with it." Anna slowed her ministrations and stood back up, leaning her head forward to cover Elsa's left nipple with her mouth to suckle gently.

She knew Elsa would go off like a firecracker without much effort the first time, so Anna saved some of her little tricks to entice a second one. Keeping things slow, she kissed her way up to the pulse point of Elsa's neck, licking and kissing the thin sheen of sweat that glazed her glowing skin. Anna raked her fingernails up Elsa's back and tangled her fingers into her hair, giving it a tug.

Anna worked her fingers faster and ran her tongue over the ridge of Elsa's chiseled collar bone, biting and nibbling along the way. Still light headed from the previous rush, Elsa let her eyes close as the return of the white hot heat built within her. Confused and yet utterly amazed at the same time, Elsa couldn't believe her body was revving itself for what felt like an even stronger orgasm than the first. The faster Anna's fingers moved and twisted the stronger the buildup became, so overwhelming that Anna had to remind Elsa to breathe after she'd held her breath for far too long. Anna's face beamed as she could see the finish line in sight, and quickly returned to a kneeling position to suckle at Elsa's clit. Elsa was crying out so loud Anna was sure their neighbors were going to hear. In a flash Elsa curled her body and clutched Anna's fiery red hair as she relished in euphoria once again. Anna was positively elated and pulled away from Elsa once she started to come down from her high, laughing in triumph. _Yes!_ Anna felt like she'd just won a gold medal in the sex Olympics.

Meanwhile Elsa was wilting in exhaustion and had wrapped her arms around Anna's neck to keep from toppling over.

"That looked amazing! I even feel amazing. How did it feel?" Anna asked excitedly. Elsa was too busy trying to catch her breath, speaking wasn't something she was capable of at the moment. She took Anna's face between her hands and gave her a weak but passionate kiss.

"Oh God how I love you."

* * *

"I'm sorry Elsa, it's moved up but not where I'd like it to be." Dr. Bjorgman was prodding just under the swell of Elsa's belly. She had been on her elbows but flopped back down against the table and pressed her fingertips against her forehead.

"No! Ugh...now what? Bed rest?" Her fingers were now aggressively running through her hair.

"Yep. Sorry. Three days. That means no getting out of bed for any reason except to use the bathroom and no doing anything strenuous from bed, like work...or sex. Giving or receiving." He laid a keen eye on Elsa, knowing all too well what she was plotting.

"I can't even answer emails?" Her voice becoming more and more desperate.

"Not from work no. Nothing _strenuous_." He put a special emphasis on the word this time. "You told your work right? So it shouldn't be a problem. Remember, you and baby come first. Not work." His words were strict but coated in kindness. "I'll see you again on Friday and see if you've made any progress."

"Starting now?" Elsa clarified.

"Yes starting right now. Call work when you get home. I'll write a note or give them a call if they need further explanation."

* * *

As soon as she got home from Dr. Bjorgman's office she dragged herself up the stairs and changed into some pajama bottoms and a tank top before climbing into bed and pulling up the covers. _Two o'clock and I'm in bed. I'm bored already._

They didn't have a TV in their bedroom because she made Anna get rid of it years ago when she developed a habit of staying up to catch Conan O'Brien and causing Elsa to toss and turn as she tried to sleep with the infernal thing blasting away. With her phone the only thing within reaching distance she decided to text Anna and fill her in on the situation.

After a short cat nap and hours of surfing on her phone Elsa finally heard Anna come through the front door.

"I'm here! I've come to rescue you from your boredom!" Elsa could hear the sound of Anna's feet stomping furiously up the stairs before bursting into the bedroom. "Okay. I have everything you need to survive the next three days!" Anna was holding half a dozen grocery bags and had Elsa's laptop and charger tucked under her arm.

"What did you do? Is there anything left at the store?" Elsa said jokingly.

"Let's start with reading material. I got one of every magazine you like, even the trashy tabloid ones. Just because you're stuck in bed doesn't mean you can't catchup on the latest celebrity gossip and fashion trends. I also got a bunch of baby and parenting magazines cause...ya know. For obvious reasons." Anna pulled out the stack of magazines and set them on Elsa's night stand. "And I didn't know what kind of a reading mood you were in so I got you _50 Shades of Grey_ and _Bossy Pants_ by Tina Fey. You said nothing strenuous so I stayed away from your normal drama and biography picks. Sorry." Elsa flipped through books and laughed to herself at Anna's idea of a good read. "What else is there?"

Anna dug deep into one of the bags. "I also got some fun stuff. Here try this." She tossed Elsa what looked to be some sort of children's toy.

"What is this?" Elsa held the thing in her hand.

"It's a paddle ball. You hit the ball with the paddle and it snaps back and you just keep doing it." Anna gave the blonde a demonstration and whacked the ball over and over like a pro. "Try it. I know you didn't have this stuff growing up but I know you inner child is dying to play with all of it." Anna had a wild look of enthusiasm in her eyes.

Elsa picked up the paddle and tried to emulate Anna's perfect demonstration but couldn't get the ball to make contact with the paddle. "I've failed at a children's toy." Looking at Anna dejectedly.

"Well you have plenty of time to have practice don't you? There's a whole bag of toys and stuff. I'll just let you be surprised as you go through it later." Anna set the bag next to bed and pulled out on last item.

"Oh, and I almost forgot. I got you a book of the world's best baby names. It was the thickest name book they had so I thought it would have the biggest selection."

Elsa took the book from Anna and stared at the cover. "So I guess I make a list for boys and another on for girls?"

"Exactly. I know it's super early to start thinking about that but I thought it might be really entertaining." Elsa leaned in and kissed Anna. "You're too good to me. Thank you. I should have enough to make it through the next hour, at least."

"Well pace yourself. I'm going to go get dinner started. You enjoy!"

* * *

The next two days felt like the longest of Elsa's whole life. Being forbidden to get out of bed only made her want to even more. She looked outside at the bright blue sky and a smattering of trees off in the distance. It's was as if they were taunting her with a freedom she wasn't allowed to enjoy.

By the end of the first day she'd read all the magazine, played with all the silly toys, and read the first half of _Bossy Pants_. She wanted to read _50 Shades of Grey_ but was afraid it would arouse her and only tempt her to submit to her to hormones.

It wasn't until the second day that she started to flip through the baby name book and highlight some of the one's she liked. She quickly learned that she seemed to have preferences for names that started with certain letters. There were a lot of names she liked but found the task exceedingly daunting knowing that this was going to be someone's name for the rest of their life. It was such a huge commitment that she couldn't find any names that seemed worthy.

 _Arendelle._

 _Arendelle._

She kept pairing each name with their last name, trying each one out. It was hard to repeat Arendelle so many times without hearing "you were never" in front of it at least once. When she and Anna had decided to get married, legally, she was thrilled that she could finally shed the name that carried so much baggage. But as usual, Anna put up a huge fuss because she wanted to take Elsa's. She'd never really been fond of the sound of her own last name and felt that Arendelle was an upgrade. Besides, she wanted to feel like she belonged to someone after the death of her parents.

Suddenly picking out names was feeling like it was becoming strenuous and so she decided to put to the book down and get some rest. Sleeping was becoming increasingly difficult. Elsa's preferred to sleep on her stomach but that was no longer an option. More and more pillows were added to the help her find the comfort she sought. A pillow between her legs, another behind her back. She swore to herself that as soon as she was freed from bed-rest she'd get to the baby store and buy one of those elaborate pregnancy pillows.

* * *

At long last Friday came and Elsa was chomping at the bit to get out of the house and off to Dr. Bjorgman's. It felt so good to be upright and using her body again. She even left all the windows in her car down as zoomed down the freeway, fresh air whirling through her lustrous locks.

Again she found herself in the herself in the all too familiar position, flat on her back pressed against the examining table watching Dr. Bjorgman poke and prod at her abdomen. She couldn't help but notice that he was sporting stubble today, making him look even more like a man of the mountain than medicine. All around his office there were pictures of him hiking and climbing various mountains with his black lab Sven. The only thing in the room that indicated he was a man of medicine was the diplomas on the wall and his ever present stethoscope that hung around his neck.

 _Please be high. Please be high._

"You look a little nervous." Dr. Bjorgman voice shook Elsa from her thoughts.

"I just don't want have to back to that room. I can't believe some women have to endure weeks or even months of bed-rest. It was so boring. Please tell me it's high."

"Well it's definitely moved up. We'll have to wait until next week's anatomy scan to cross check it, but for now I think you're safe to resume life as normal." His big brown eyes crinkled as he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Oh thank God. I've never been so happy to go back to work." Elsa clutched her hands and brought them near her heart, ever so thankful to return to her life.

"So next week will be the anatomy scan and genetic testing. It will also be the time you can find out the sex of the baby. Oaken said he emailed you about that. Did you guys talk and come to a decision?"

Elsa rolled her eyes and she sat up and pulled her shirt back over her stomach. "Yes. Anna doesn't want to find out so we're not going to." Her words tainted with disappointment.

"Alright, well...here are your pamphlets on the genetic tests and I guess I'll see you in a few weeks. And hopefully Anna next time too."

Elsa hopped of the table and grabbed the pamphlets, looking like someone had taken the wind out her sails. "Thanks. See you in a few weeks."

As the door shut behind her she couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow about not finding out the gender. Yes she wanted to decorate and do all the other things new mom's get excited over. But more important to her was getting to know more about the little person inside her. She hadn't even felt so much as kick and was yearning to know more. She knew she had to push her thoughts aside so that Anna could have her wish. It was the only thing she'd ask for and Elsa couldn't take that from her.

* * *

"So you can go back to work on Monday?" Anna was busy in the kitchen making spaghetti and garlic bread as Elsa watched from a stool on the other side of the counter.

"Yes and I couldn't be more thrilled. Two days was punishment enough." Anna poured a box of noodles into a giant pot of boiling water, spilling half the noodles over the side of the pot and onto the floor.

"Whoops." She quickly began picking up the tiny strands of noodles off the floor. "And don't put those back in the pot. Don't think that I don't know that you do that." Elsa leaned over the counter, making sure Anna heard her.

"What, me? I would _never_ do such a thing." Anna was certainly the queen of sarcasm. She was so into making facial expressions that she hadn't noticed Elsa's face had blanched and she had a hand pressed to her belly with the most serious expression on her face.

"What's wrong? Is something wrong?" Worried Anna dropped the spaghetti in her hands and rushed over to Elsa's side. Her expression was still flat and it was causing Anna to go from worried to panicked when a burst of laughter escaped from Elsa.

"Oh my God. The baby has the hiccups." Her eyes shot open so wide her eyebrows were almost one with her hairline. It had taken her a minute to figure out what the strange twitching feeling coming from within was. At first she thought it was just a muscle but figured it was the baby when she felt a small jostling feeling after each twitch.

"Let me feel!" Anna was so excited she nearly screamed as she pushed Elsa's hand away.

"Here, it's down here." Elsa placed her hand on top of Anna's and laid it over the area where the feeling was the strongest. Of course once Anna put her hand there nothing happened.

"Just wait. It'll do it again." Both of their mouths were wide open as the eyes locked on Anna's hand. Suddenly Anna felt tiny bouncing movement against her hand that seemed to echo throughout Elsa's belly.

"Ahhh I felt it! Oh my gosh! That was amazing. Do it again baby." It didn't take long before Anna felt it again and she didn't know whether to scream in excitement or cry. She felt like doing both at the same time. "What does it feel like for you?" Anna asked with a gleam in her teal eyes.

"It feels like the hiccup is so strong it jolts its whole body or something because I can feel the whole thing moving each time. Amazing huh?" The expression on Elsa's face was one of pure joy. She looked the most happy and relaxed she'd been in months.

"This is the best thing ever. I don't think I can move my hand for the rest of the night." Anna continued to feel the little movements beneath her hand while Elsa held Anna closer to her.

Dinner burnt that night but neither of them cared. There was now something more important in life to focus on. Anna spent the rest of the night spooned up against Elsa with her hand still in the same spot, waiting for the next bout of hiccups or that first big kick.


	13. Chapter 13

Waiting for the anatomy scan had felt like an eternity. Over the past week Anna tried to distract herself with a science fair she was helping put together at her school. Elsa on the other hand had also tried to throw herself into work; spending hours hunched over her double screen computer, diligently putting together design sketches for her Dubai project.

Both were excited to get to see the baby on screen again but Elsa was extremely nervous about the testing they were going to do. Dr. Bjorgman had given her a number of pamphlets on genetic testing, primarily on Down's syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities, and she was to choose one of the three available tests. After hours of research and discussion with Anna, who had no idea whatsoever how to pick one test over the other, Elsa decided on a sequential screening that involved an ultrasound followed by two separate blood tests that would identify any problems. The ultrasound would check the thickness of the baby's spinal cord just behind its neck to determine the probability of a genetic abnormality.

It was all Elsa could do to keep her mind from running away from her and thinking about all of the things that could possibly go wrong. One tiny thought lead to another and would cause a chain reaction that made her feel like she was going to drive herself mad with worry. Sometimes she wondered how people even managed to have healthy babies at all, with all the precautions and testing she felt like a lot of the pregnancy had been about dodging bullets.

The night before the ultrasound, Anna had just finished putting together a judging rubric for the science fair when she began to meander through the house in search of Elsa. She stumbled upon the blonde in one of the rooms she used as a design studio and home office. The floor to ceiling bookcases were filled with books on everything from art and history to geometry and materials science. It was her place to create and test ideas out but it most often ended up providing a place to work from home on those grueling late nights before a deadline. Anna watched Elsa as she sat at an old architect's table, feverishly working her pencil and ruler to create tiny intricate lines on the massive structure she'd drawn. The sides of her fingertips were smudged with graphite and her eyes were straining to focus on every meticulous detail.

"You must _really_ be anxious if you're using a pencil instead of stylus." Anna's voice jolted Elsa out of her trance as her eyes shot to where the redhead was standing in the doorway. She couldn't help but notice how cute Anna looked in with her hair done up in a braided bun.

"My eyes couldn't take another minute of staring at that screen. Pencil and paper feels more organic sometimes." She set the pencil and ruler aside as she swept the away the bits of eraser and pencil shavings off the desk, scooping them into her hands before tossing them into the wastebasket.

"I couldn't get tomorrow off my mind and I think I ended up overworking the rubric. We should take a break and get ready for bed soon. Put ourselves out of our misery." Anna extended her hand and helped Elsa up, taking a moment to admire the sketch.

"Wow this is amazing. I could never some come up with something like that. Your talent is so incredible." Anna's eyes traced the lines of the slender sky rise that looked like something out of a science fiction movie. It was conical is shape but twisted and turned as it narrowed towards the top of the structure. "This is a real building?" Anna's brows slanted questioningly as she leaned over the table to get a better look.

"Here I'll explain it." Elsa wrapped herself around Anna and nuzzled her chin into the redhead's shoulder as she reflected on her creation. "This particular building is one of four that will be called the Dubai Towers. Each tower is supposed to represent the flames of a candle that spark imagination."

Anna narrowed her eyes and stared perplexed at the twisted tower.

"Whoa and you came up with that?" Anna rarely got to see Elsa's work in the making, as she was usually too busy to stop and explain every single project. But this was one of those special moments where she got to see just how gifted Elsa really was. Sometimes Elsa even found herself in awe of her own work, but nothing made her beam with pride more than sharing it with Anna.

"Yeah. The clients said they wanted something iconic. It sits right on the waterline and I was thinking about how the buildings should be like a beacon in the night, like a modern version of a lighthouse or something." Elsa was always so humble and modest whenever someone complimented her work. Her smile would stretch for days and her eyes would glimmer and flutter as she spoke.

Pulling herself away from the table, Anna turned and let her arms wrap around Elsa's waist as she tightened their embrace. "You're amazing, you know that?" Anna pressed her forehead against Elsa's, placing the lightest wisp of a kiss on her nose.

"With you I am." She said as she tickled Anna's nose with Eskimo kisses, their upper lips brushing ever so slightly together. A hum escaped from Anna and they shared a few small sweet kisses. "We should get ready for bed. All three of us have a big day tomorrow."

After getting ready for bed Elsa curled into her new pregnancy pillow and was soon followed by Anna who spooned up beside her. "How do you like your new pillow?" Anna said as she placed a hand on the side of Elsa's belly.

"It's heavenly. It makes a _huge_ difference." The small circles Anna was rubbing on her belly made her heart feel like it was glowing. It always made her feel so good when Anna got to have some time with the baby, even if it was from a distance.

"Any kicks?" Anna asked, hoping to catch another feel and that precious foot against her hand.

"No. Everything is pretty quiet right now." Elsa's hand met Anna's under the covers and held it against her belly. There was something so wonderful about the feeling of her loving wife cocooned on one side of her and the baby on the other. As if she was smothered by love from all angles.

It felt right.

* * *

The sound of water running through the pipes caught Anna's attention as she finished pouring a freshly brewed pot of coffee into her tumbler, noting that Elsa must have finally made it into the shower. With her coffee in hand she made herself comfortable on the couch as she waited for Elsa to finish getting ready, flipping through some of the paperwork Oaken had asked them to fill out and bring in during their appointment. Anna quickly filled in the section on ethic origin and family health history, glancing at Elsa's answers and she scribbled in her own. _Born Bergen, Norway, Parents Agdar and Idun Arendelle._

 _Weird I thought she was born in Oslo. The mystery continues._

That was the first times she'd even seem Elsa's parents' names in print since they got married. Faceless strangers who she barely knew anything about, except that she loved their daughter. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Anna decided to trudge back upstairs and check on Elsa.

 _Poor thing is probably so nervous she can't even focus on getting ready._

As she neared the bathroom Anna could see steam billowing out from the top of the bathroom door. Elsa's had been in there for almost twenty minutes, so it made sense that she'd turned the bathroom into her own personal steam room by now. As Anna crept closer, soft moaning could be heard over the roaring sound of the shower. Not sure whether she should be worried or aroused, Anna tore back the shower curtain with such force that it sent Elsa flying back against the slick tiles of the wall in fright.

"What are you... were you...?" Anna's eyes looked Elsa over as water streamed down every curve of her glistening body.

"Anna God. You scared me half to death." Elsa panted as a coy smile curled up the side of Anna's mouth.

"Y-you were masturbating." She laughed as Elsa flushed with embarrassment at the thought of being caught red handed in the most intimate of moments.

"No I wasn't." Her head shook as Anna erupted into a laughter so great she bent over at the waist and clutched her stomach.

"You totally were masturbating Elsa. It's completely fine. I just wasn't expecting it is all." She continued to laugh, finding Elsa's embarrassment utterly adorable.

"Okay so I was. I thought it would help relax me." The redness continued to spread like a wild fire across Elsa's face. No matter how long they'd been married, interrupting private time still made Elsa uncomfortable and a little embarrassed.

"I'd jump in there and help you with that but we're going to be late. So could you please finish…getting ready I mean." Anna fell to the floor as her laughter finally robbed her of the ability to stand any longer as Elsa dramatically pulled the shower curtain shut.

* * *

This time when they went to the ultrasound clinic they were feeling like old pros. They knew the routine and Anna had the DVD ready in hand as she anxiously sat on the edge of her seat. Elsa made sure to wear pants she didn't care about getting jelly on and brought an extra pair to change into before she went to work.

"I think this might be the best ultrasound yet. The baby is so big you can probably tell that it's an _actual_ baby this time." Anna nervously tapped the DVD case against her hand.

"Yeah I watched a few videos on the internet and this one should be really exciting. Just remember to cover your eyes when he does the gender part." Giving Anna a smirk over the top of her magazine.

"I won't forget. It was my idea, remember? So _you_ should remember to keep _your_ eyes shut." Anna's eyes popped open wider as she emphasized her words.

"Arendelle." A woman in light pink scrubs called out as Anna shot up like a rocket from her chair. "Here we go again." Elsa trailed behind Anna, unable to keep up with the feisty redhead who was practically skipping down the halls of the clinic.

Everything was much bigger and much clearer this time. Oaken was doing the anatomy scan that took about 20 minutes where he took various measurements and looked for all sorts of other things that neither of them were familiar with. The only time Elsa got a little nervous was when he measured the spinal cord within the baby's tiny and fragile vertebrae. Anna looked down at Elsa's chest and could see her heart beating through her shirt.

 _Be thin...be thin...be thin._

"It looks really thin. Nothing that I'd be worried about at all." Oaken gave a reassuring thumbs up from behind his computer screen.

 _Whew!_

Oaken worked quickly and didn't have time to explain much as they had a lot to get through. Anna and Elsa just oh'd and aw'd to each other every time they saw a feature they recognized. They saw the baby's tiny and outstretched foot against the upper part of Elsa's uterus.

"It's weird that it's pushing but I can't feel it. This is like having a hidden camera in my body." Elsa smiled as she watched their baby repeatedly push its foot and arch its back like it was clamoring for more space.

They also saw the tiny string of pearls that made up the baby's spine. The baby arched and rolled several times and it sent the two over the edge with cuteness. Oaken couldn't help but smile as they pointed and squealed over the baby's every move. Oaken showed them a shot of the baby's profile and they could see the outline of a perfect button nose and prominent chin. Both of them were trying to see if they could tell who the baby looked more like, but it was still too early to tell.

"Look, look, look! That's the heart!" Anna jumped up and down as she pointed to the flickering motion towards the center of the baby's chest.

"And you thought that tower I made was amazing. Look at what my body made without any direction." Elsa looked on in amazement at the very essence of life that was cradled between their baby's ribcage.

The best part came when Oaken switched to the 3D ultrasound. Gasps filled the room as screen switched from the usual grainy black and white image to various shades of orange, revealing the baby who was laying its back opening and closing its mouth.

"Awwww it's yawning." Anna clasped her hands in front of her chest.

"Actually, what baby is doing is swallowing amniotic fluid. It gives the body a chance to practice digesting." Oaken explained. Elsa was so overcome by the moment that she had to cover mouth her hand, for fear her emotions might get the best of her.

"Okay I have to do determine the gender now so if you want to cover your eyes." Oaken gestured for them to do as he suggested.

"Hands up blondie, no peeking." Anna demanded.

With nothing to see they listened to the sound of Oaken's mouse clicking at his computer. Oaken was having a difficult time getting the right angle and blurted out "okay" when he finally got the angle he needed. Eager to take her hands off her eyes Anna took that as the signal to remove her them. Once she did she looked at the screen only to see the baby in a perfect position to see the gender.

 _Oh shit I did not just see that._

Anna quickly looked at Elsa to see if she had made the same mistake but to her chagrin she still had her eyes covered like the good girl she was. Oaken was looking at his computer monitor and missed the whole thing.

 _Just put your hands back up and act like it didn't happen._

After a few more minutes Oaken advised that the gender assessment was over and that they could remove their hands from their eyes.

"Oh man Anna that was hard. I didn't think I was going to make it." Elsa blinked a few times as her eyes readjusted to the lights.

"Yeah me neither." Anna's voice was a little shaky and even cracked.

At the end of the ultrasound Oaken printed out there photos and burned the session to the DVD. The elevator ride down to the parking level was extremely awkward for Anna. Now that she had seen the baby's gender she didn't know if she should tell Elsa. It was her that didn't want to find out in the first place and here she had blown it after convincing Elsa not to find out _. What's the alternative? Not tell her and act surprised when the baby is born?_ Anna didn't realize that her face was twisting and scrunching as she battled the thoughts flooding her mind.

"What's the matter? You look deep in thought." Elsa brushed her hand against Anna's slender arm, trying to pull her out of her thoughts.

"Huh...oh nothing, I was just...processing everything I guess." The elevator dinged and they headed for their cars.

"I parked over here."

"I'm over there." Anna pointed in the opposite direction.

"Okay well I guess I'll see you after work." She gave Anna a hug, giving her an extra tight squeeze before releasing her.

"Yeah I'll see you later." Anna was still in a despondent fog.

"Um...I love you." Looking back over her shoulder as she started to walk away, curious as to why Anna wasn't responding.

"Oh yeah. I love you too." And she gave Elsa a quick kiss before walking to her car.

 _That was strange._

Their goodbyes were usually much better than that. Especially since they had just watched their baby on screen for more than an hour.

 _Maybe it had something to do with the ultrasound. Or me._

Elsa started to wonder if seeing the baby had brought back old feelings of discomfort for Anna. This ultrasound _had_ been much more vivid and realistic than any of the previous ones. She paused and fiddled with her keys trying to figure out what could have caused Anna's demeanor to suddenly change.

* * *

Later that night after dinner Elsa decided to put her theory to the test and see if Anna was put off by her advances. If she made the move and Anna didn't respond then she would know.

Anna was curled up on the couch in one of their spare rooms they'd made over into a reading room. Elsa designed the house so of course it would have a living space dedicated just to reading. Anna was hoping to lose herself in one of the parenting books they bought. After finishing up with the dishes Elsa decided to make her move.

"What are you reading?" Anna didn't even look up from her book when she heard Elsa's voice.

"Something about parenting the natural way." She desperately tried to avoid eye contact for fear her eyes would show that she was indeed hiding something. Had she bothered to look up she would have seen that Elsa had already begun to unbutton her silky navy colored blouse, revealing a small area of radiant skin just above her breasts. She knelt down on the couch and perched herself on her hands and knees as she made her way over to Anna.

"Feel like putting your bookmark in?" Elsa now had her face in the crook of Anna's neck and was whispering into her ear.

"Oh my God Elsa! You scared me." Anna jumped off the couch and took a few steps away.

"Why are you so jumpy?"

"I'm not _jumpy._ I just didn't expect you to be all up on me while I was reading."

Elsa had retreated to her side of the couch and couldn't help but feel hurt by Anna's tone.

"Oh my God I knew it." Elsa glanced up at the ceiling in disbelief.

"You knew what?"

"You can't stand to have me touch you anymore. Or to touch me for that matter."

"Wait what?" Anna blinked and stared at her wife.

"It's because I'm showing more now isn't it? Seeing the baby today made you get creeped out again didn't it? I was afraid this would happen."

"Elsa what are you talking about? You think I don't want to touch you because you're showing?" Anna's voice was climbing higher and higher.

"Well isn't it?"

"That ridiculous! Most of the time I'm trying to keep my hands off you and you know that. I worked through all that. Whatever made you think this crazy story you have going in your head?"

"Well today when we were leaving the clinic. I said I loved you and you kind of ignored me. And then gave the quickest kiss ever." Elsa's cool blue eyes were welling up with tears.

"Wait, stop. That's not what was going on. I had something else on my mind but I swear it had nothing to with not wanting to kiss you or not loving you or whatever those hormones have convinced you I did."

"Then what is it?" Elsa tone dropped and it was clear she wasn't going to let Anna off the hook that easily.

"What?"

"If it's not that then what is?" Elsa pressed.

"Ahhh...Elsa...I can't tell you." Anna could feel herself begging to sweat as she bit her bottom lip to keep herself from saying more.

"You can't tell me because it's not the truth." Elsa stormed out of the room with a huff and was headed towards their bedroom.

"Wait Elsa No! That's not it at-" Slam! "all."

Elsa slammed the bedroom door hard in hopes it would get her point across to Anna.

 _Great now I have to tell her. She thinks I don't love her now. That's worse than the truth. Great going Anna._

She knew what she had to do. Anna slowly crept up the stairs and approached the bedroom door. She paused for minute before knocking, hearing the quiet muffled sounds of Elsa crying into her pillow.

"Elsa, can I come in?" There was no answer. "Please, I need to talk to you." The faint sound of sobs continued to reverberate through the door. "Okay well I'm coming in."

Elsa was curled up in her pregnancy pillow on the bed with her face buried. "Elsa I have to tell you something that happened at the ultrasound today."

 _Okay here goes nothing._

She cleared her throat and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. "Okay well...when Oaken was doing the gender, I accidentally took my hands down early and saw."

Elsa shot up and whipped around so fast her braid hit her on the other side of her face. "You saw what?"

 _Oh God…_

Anna closed her eyes and cringed as she forced herself to say the words. "A penis. I opened my eyes and saw a penis."

Elsa's eyes shot open so wide that Anna thought they were going to reach right out and grab her. "What!" Anna hesitantly approached the side of the bed, wincing at the sound of the shrillness in Elsa's voice.

"I'm sorry Elsa I didn't mean to and I feel like an idiot because I was the one who told you we couldn't find out. But at least you know that it's not because I don't want to touch you or anything. That's good right?"

Elsa shook head so fast that it made little strand of blonde hair to stick to her hot tear stained cheeks. "No! It means you lied to me for half the day and when were you even going to tell me?"

Anna was too afraid to look Elsa in the eye and looked down at her hands that were playing with a ring around her finger instead. "I don't know. That's why you felt like I was ignoring you because I was trying to think of how to handle it."

After a huge breath, Elsa could see that Anna was sincere and started to feel her anger subside. "And how do you even know that what you saw was a penis?"

"What do you mean?" Anna's brows scrunched in confusion.

"I watched tons of ultrasound videos trying to learn how to spot stuff and even I couldn't tell what I was looking at."

Anna reached over and brushed the strands of hair from Elsa's rosy cheeks.

"Elsa I know what I saw." Anna laid her hand on Elsa's knee, letting her words sink in until Elsa finally responded.

"So we're having a boy?"

* * *

Back at Dr. Bjorgman's office they were all going over the results of the ultrasound. All three were huddled tightly around a large computer screen as Dr. Bjorgman clicked through the various black and white photos.

"And here you can see the baby's heart. All four chambers are there and blood flow looks normal. Why are you two smiling at me like that?" They looked at each other and giggled as their secret became unbearable to conceal.

Elsa decided to tell him. "Just the way you say _the baby_. As if to not give anything away." Biting her bottom lip as her smile tried to stretch further across her face.

"Well you two said you didn't want to know the sex of the baby." His brown eyes darted back and forth between the two in confusion.

"It's okay we already know. Anna peeked and saw a penis." Nudging the redheads shoulder as she giggled.

"Uh...are you sure that's what you saw." He sifted through the papers of the ultrasounds report confirming his suspicions.

"Yep." Anna oozed with confidence. "Okay, you want to show me in this photo where you saw said penis?" Anna looked closely at the ultrasound photo and pointed it out.

"Right there. One penis. Wait...one...two...three, four, five...wait what?" Anna stared at the screen with a look of utter confusion.

"It's not a penis it's a foot or something isn't it." Elsa was quick to catch on.

"Hand actually." Dr. Bjorgman had the biggest smile on his face. "So wait it's a girl?" Anna was too embarrassed and bewildered to speak, letting Elsa ask the questions.

"Just because it has a hand doesn't mean it's a girl." He couldn't help but laugh at the situation Anna had gotten herself into.

"So what it is?" Elsa was completely confused and thoroughly frustrated now.

"Look, if you want to find out you can. I have the smaller ultrasound machine next door. It's not my decision it's yours."

Elsa desperately wanted to find out, but again she held herself together for Anna's sake. She clutched the sides of her chair, trying to hold back her words as she waited for Anna to say something. "We may need a few minutes to talk." Anna voice was smooth but serious.

"Alright, I'll give you two a few minutes but if you want to find out you have to make a decision by then."


	14. Chapter 14

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Anna and Elsa were bantering back and forth so furiously that Dr. Bjorgman felt slightly uncomfortable. So much so that he crawled back behind his thick wooden desk and waited for the dust to settle.

"You want to find out? You were the one who said you wanted the biggest surprise of your whole life!" Elsa seethed.

Anna wasn't sure which was worse, the amount of sarcasm Elsa just used or the over exaggerated hand gestures.

"So I changed my mind. I'm allowed to do that. Once I thought it was a boy I started to think about what he would look like and all that kind of stuff." Anna had her arms crossed in front of her as she continued to argue with Elsa.

"So _now_ you want to find out? After all the time I held my feelings in, _now_ you want to find out? This is so like you." Mumbling the last part under her breath as she turned her face away from Anna.

"Excuse me. What was that last part?" Anna's eyebrows rose, and she folded her arms over chest.

Dr. Bjorgman had given up waiting and started to go through some files on his desk, trying anything to block out the tirade unfolding before his eyes. He couldn't help but chuckled at how mad they were even though they were now on the same page with the gender issue. They both wanted to find out so what were they even squabbling over?

"I said this is just like you; always changing your mind, flip-flopping, whatever you want to call it...at my expense." Elsa's eyes were narrow and her voice was sharp and crass as her words cut straight to Anna's core.

"At _your_ expense? You had to stuff your feelings for what, two weeks? Which I don't even know why you're complaining. You're so good at hiding your feelings anyway, I've had to deal with the fact I'm not ever going to be pregnant for over six months, Elsa."

Dr. Bjorgman had enough. He could tell they were going down a road that wasn't going to end well and decided to take control over the situation.

"Hey hormones, feisty pants, stop. Don't do this to each other. Now yes or no, do you want to find out the gender?" He knew they both would say yes and once he told them they would drop their anger and move on to elation.

"Yes." They both answered in unison.

"Okay, then we're going to move into the other office and find out. Agreed?" They looked each other in the eyes for conformation and then back to Dr. Bjorgman.

"Agreed."

Anna looked like she was about to cry. For the life of her she couldn't figure out why they kept arguing like this. Dr. Bjorgman led them out of the room and Elsa grabbed Anna's hand, pulling her back before she could leave. Her voice was quiet and her eyes were also welling with tears.

"I don't want to go in there without saying I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt you. I love you." Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist and pulled her in for a hug.

"I don't want to do this anymore. Let's just move on. We'll feel better in ten minutes anyways." Dragging Elsa behind her they hurried to catch up to Dr. Bjorgman who was already warming up the ultrasound equipment in the next room.

"Alright, lay down, shirt up." Elsa laid on the table, rolled her shirt up and then pulled down the extended waistline of her maternity jeans. With the jelly and transducer in place, Anna interlaced her fingers with Elsa's and stood as close as she could next to the table.

"Now that I've got you two in here let's hope this baby is in a good position so we can find out." The fuzzy white outline of the baby appeared on the screen and everyone could feel the tension release from the whole room. "Perfect. Baby is in a great position." Elsa could make out the legs and figured they were looking at the baby from the bottom but really couldn't make out much more than that.

"Okay, are we ready to find out?" He was grinning almost as much as Anna. Elsa looked a bit nervous but was still plenty excited as she waited on pins and needles. The lines on her forehead increasing as her brows rose higher and higher. "Yes!" The suspense was killing them.

"It's a girl!" He finally said.

Anna screamed and hugged Elsa so tight she thought she was going to suffocate her. "It's a girl!" Anna kept repeating. "I was wrong but I don't even care. I'm so happy." Dr. Bjorgman looked on and smiled as he began to wipe off the jelly from Elsa's belly.

"Elsa, you okay?" Anna had been so excited she didn't even notice that Elsa had started crying. She wasn't making any noise but her hand was covering her mouth and tears were streaming down, creating a wet pool above her hand.

"Wait, these are happy tears right?" Anna never knew with Elsa these days. Elsa removed her hand from her mouth and wiped her nose and cheeks with the sleeve of her cardigan.

"Yes, of course happy tears." That only made the tears flow even more as little lines of mascara streaked down her cheeks.

"Wait, you really wanted a girl. But you didn't say anything." Anna had no idea Elsa had wanted a girl this much.

"How could say that I wanted a girl after you said you didn't want to find out?" To Elsa, a girl wasn't just about buying all those adorable cute clothes and accessories. She was definitely looking forward to that. But a girl was a chance to break the cycle. To right all the wrong that had been done to her. She knew the kind of parent she wanted to be and it was nothing like her own.

"Congratulations." Dr. Bjorgman couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as he watched Anna hold Elsa, wiping away her tears. "I'll give you two a minute." He closed the door behind them and let them celebrate in private.

As they walked out of the office and into the parking lot they could both feel a sense of sadness as they now had to part ways again.

"It sucks we have to go back to work after this. I really want to go celebrate or something." Anna was half hoping Elsa would give them permission to blow of the rest of the day and bask in the glow of their good news.

"Me too. But I have a meeting I can't miss and you can't get a sub this short notice. I'll see you at home." They exchanged a quick kiss and headed their separate ways. Elsa did have to make it back to work for a meeting but she would be leaving early to prepare something special for Anna.

* * *

After a long day at work Anna finally pulled up to the drive way only to find that Elsa had managed to make it home before her.

"What the hell?" She couldn't remember the last time Elsa had gotten home early without her being sick or having some kind of medical emergency. She figured it couldn't possibly be either because Elsa would have told her if something was wrong. She cautiously pushed the door open, uncertain of what she was about to walk into, and began to look for Elsa. There in the kitchen was the blonde standing behind a counter full of ingredients and cookware.

"You're home!" Elsa came over to where Anna was and gave her kiss before leading her into the kitchen. Anna was relieved to know that nothing was wrong but was still confused as to just what was going on.

"What is all this?" She looked across the counter could tell Elsa was planning on making something but couldn't tell from the ingredients what it was.

"This is my apology for today. And I also wanted to celebrate so I thought it would be fun to make something together." Anna hadn't seen Elsa cook since the first year they dated. She was more of an order in type of lady, so the thought of her donning an apron and making something together was almost mind blowing for Anna.

"What are we making? It looks like waffles or something."

Elsa giggled as she could see why Anna would think that, given there was some sort or iron on the counter.

"No not waffles. This is the extra special part. We're making krumkake." The immature girl inside of Anna giggled as she tried hard not to laugh out loud and ruin the moment.

"I'm sorry, krum _what_?" She bit her lip to keep herself from laughing.

"Grow up, silly. It's Norwegian and it means curved cake."

Anna gasped. "We're making something Norwegian?" Suddenly realizing the huge moment this really was, Anna cupped her hands over her mouth to contain her emotions. Elsa, the woman who hardly ever talked about Norway or anything related to it without being forcefully prompted, not only just said one of the few words Anna ever heard Elsa say in Norwegian, but she was also going to be making something from there as well. For Elsa, this was basically her baring her soul.

"What...how...why?" Anna had so many questions they were all coming out at once in a jumble of words.

"I want to show you that I _am_ trying. I'm actually _really_ happy today and this makes me feel better in a strange way. It dawned on me that you're not going to be the only person in my life asking me about my past. This little girl is going to be asking me all kinds of questions as well. And this is the main reason I brought all this stuff back from home in the first place. To share and pass on to someone else."

Anna was so floored that she couldn't even get her mouth to close. Tears pricked her eyes and a warmth spread through her chest. She was letting Anna in. A feeling so amazing she didn't even know what to say. Instead she threw herself into Elsa's arms and held her tight. "Thank you for this." She whispered into Elsa's ear.

"Anna I haven't shown you the best part." Anna pulled away and looked at Elsa with a bemused expression.

"There's more?" She brought Anna over to a small cast iron press that looked similar to a waffle iron but only much more beautiful. The two plates were decorated with a rosemal design that surrounded four hearts in the center.

"This is the krumkake iron. This one was my grandmother's, mormor, and I'll bet my parents were very angry when they found out I took it." Anna was shocked at how smoothly and calmly Elsa was speaking. She hadn't been able to get this much out of her in years without causing an emotional breakdown.

"Mormor. Was that her name?" Anna took Elsa's hands in her own and stroked them with her thumbs. "No it's just what you call your grandma. It's like granny."

"Did you make these with mormor?" She asked trying not to sound overly eager.

"Yes, for Christmas. Every Christmas in fact, until she died when I was twelve." Elsa's eyes seemed lost in memory as she stared at the intricate patterns on the iron.

"Elsa, how are you doing this? You're sharing this with me but you actually seem...happy." Elsa sighed contently and smiled back at Anna, gazing into those beautiful teal pools.

"I'm not really sure. I think talking about this is easier because my mormor and I had a great relationship and these memories feel more happy than sad." She turned her attention back to bowl of batter sitting on the counter.

"Okay so I'll make one first so you can watch and then you can try one." Anna watched as Elsa swirled the batter around with a spoon in a perfect circular motion. She scooped up a tiny dollop of batter and drizzled it on the bottom plate, quickly closing it together as the batter spread to the edge of the iron. "Then you count to fifteen and it should be done." Elsa gave the iron a graceful twirl and flipped it over before opening it to expose the most delicate little pastry Anna had ever seen, almost too beautiful to eat. "You know it's done when the center is brown." Elsa reached over and grabbed one of the wooden cone rollers and began to scrape the pastry onto and around the cone. "You have to do this part kind of fast otherwise it won't hold the shape. I can't count the number of times I burnt myself doing this."

Anna was enthralled as she watched Elsa's slender fingers dance around the cake and secure it around the little cone, jerking her finger away in pain when the heat became too much. "Ouch!" She instinctively brought the tip of her finger up into to her mouth to soothe the burning.

"You okay?" Anna winced out of sympathy.

"Yeah. That just means you're doing it right. Anyways, you let the cones cool and then when you've made up the whole batter you fill them with the cream."

Anna held the small cone in her hand, admiring the craftsmanship that had gone into something that was going to be devoured by the end of the night. "My turn!" Anna picked up the bowl and took a spoonful of batter and carefully brought it over to the iron, her hand trembling as she tried to keep it from spilling.

"Be careful because this is really hot. Clearly as I just demonstrated." Elsa looked down at her fingertip that was still pink with pain. Anna stuck her tongue out and pressed it up against her upper lip as she used all her might to concentrate and pour the batter onto the very center of the iron. Once finished she shut the iron in one swift motion and giddily turned back to Elsa.

"I did it!" She quickly spun Anna back around.

"Don't forget to count. Better check it. It might be overdone." Anna's smile faded into a frown as she opened the iron and saw the center of her cake was dark brown with a black spot in the middle. Nothing like the perfectly toasted brown that Elsa's had been.

"Oh no, I burnt it." Her bottom lip stuck out as she tried to scrape the crumbling cake off of the iron.

"It's okay. We have plenty of batter. Just try again and don't forget to count." With determination written all over her face, Anna put another spoonful of batter on the iron and counted out loud all the way up to fifteen. This time the cake looked exactly like Elsa's.

"Ha ha yes! Success!" Moving quickly she grabbed the cone roller and wrapped the krumkake around it.

"You did it, it looks perfect!" Elsa looked on as Anna triumphantly held her creation in her hand.

"You might be making a baby but I just made my first krumkake." Her lips curled into a devilish smile.

After an hour of making the cones it was time to fill them with the cream Elsa had set aside in the fridge. Scooping the cream from a large silver mixing bowl she filled two pastry bags, one for each of them and handed one to Anna.

"This part is much easier. All you have to do is pipe the cream into the cone, like so." Holding the cone in one hand and the pastry bag in the other, Elsa effortless filled the cone and finished it with a flick of her wrist, creating a perfect swirl at the end. "And then it's done. Try it." She held out the krumkake to Anna, cupping her bottom hand underneath as Anna crunched down into the heavenly treat.

"Oh my God...this is the best thing I've ever eaten." Muffling her words through the krumkake in her mouth. Elsa had meant for Anna to take a bite but instead she'd eaten the whole thing at once.

"You have some um...cream in the corner of your mouth. Here." Anna strained her eyes to try to look at where Elsa was gesturing to but the blonde had already begun to sweep her finger across Anna's lips, licking the cream off her finger before giving a shy hint of a smile.

"Okay, you take this half and I'll take that half." Anna readied herself with her pastry bag and began to fill the krumkakes on her half of the counter, always watching Elsa's fluid movements out of the corner of her eye. Anna had no idea how long it had been since the last time Elsa had made krumkake but it looked like she'd been doing it her whole life. While Anna struggled to find the right amount of pressure on the pastry bag, Elsa was filling cone after cone in a well-choreographed dance of perfection. Anna more so noticed a certain twinkle in Elsa's eyes as she worked and it was impossible to tear her eyes away from her.

When all of the krumkakes were filled, Elsa brought a plate of them over to the coffee table and snuggled up with Anna in a papasan chair off to the side of the fireplace. "Why did we have to make three dozen of these things? I'm going to eat them all by the end of the night if I don't stop myself." Anna had just finished chewing as she swallowed and shoved another krumkake into her mouth, savoring the rich buttery sweetness of the cream.

"Sorry. Mormor always made a ton at a time and I didn't want to ruin the recipe by trying to cut it down. But they're good huh?" Anna was plum stuffed and a nod was all she could manage. Elsa licked the last bit of cream off her fingers and cuddled closer to Anna, feeling the warmth emanating from the flickering fire as they intertwined their legs. Their eyes locked on each other and Anna reached out to playfully twirl a strand of Elsa's hair between her fingers.

"This was so nice. I wish you would do things like this more often." The corners of her eyes crinkled as a smile stretched across her face.

"Well this was definitely better than the first night we tried to delve into the boxes. This is something that can't be rushed. Too much at one time makes me feel like I'm going to have panic attack. Just be patient."

Anna nestled her head against Elsa's chest and listened to the melodic beating of her heart.

"Slow is good. I can do slow. Besides, I think I learned my lesson about pushing you into things. But since you got me into this Nordic mood, can you do me one favor?"

Elsa was combing her fingers through Anna's hair as she looked down at her freckled face. "What's that?" She asked softly.

"Can you say something in Norwegian? I just don't get to hear it very often and it sounds so beautiful coming from you." Anna's voice was timid, hoping she wasn't asking for too much.

Elsa leaned her cheek on top of Anna's head as she thought of something to say.

"Jeg elsker deg."

Anna had no idea what she had said but was just as she expected, beautiful. "What does it mean?"

"What do you think it means?" She cupped her hand under Anna's chin and brought her closer, pressing a kiss to her warm lips.

"I love you too."

* * *

The kitchen had been left in complete disarray from the night before. The next morning Elsa cleaned up and returned the kitchen to its usual sparkling state. If anything made her more grumpy, it was a mess. She gathered up the krumkake iron and cone rollers and headed down the stairs into the basement, back to the dreaded white boxes. She was smart enough to know that the iron would be in the heaviest box when she went to get it out the night before. Sparing herself the torment of searching through God knows how many boxes to find what she needed.

She carefully opened the box that was still sitting on a stack of three other boxes and gingerly set the iron and rollers back inside, quickly putting the top back on before she saw anything else she wasn't prepared to see. Eager to leave she turned with such haste that her protruding belly caught the side one of the boxes, sending it tumbling to the ground. Elsa gasped as she covered her eyes, hoping nothing had spilled out or worse, broken.

She summoned her courage and slowly began to pull her hands down. As her eyes fluttered open, she saw the contents of the box strewn about the concrete floor of the basement. She clutched her hands to her chest, grasping them tightly as her eyes focused on the individual objects. Beneath her feet was a small white jewelry with gold and purple rosemaling on it. Further out from that was a trail of photos and old childhood drawings. Peeking out from the box was a small handmade cloth doll with a blue dress and little crown on her head. As she glanced at each object she could feel her heartstrings pull.

 _Get it together._

Shaking her head, she rushed to the ground and frantically started shoving whatever she could get her hands on back in the box. She tried not to look directly at anything and could feel the sting of paper cuts on her trembling hands as she continued to shovel. Everything was almost back in the box when she began to gather the photos. A few of them had fallen back in between some old framed canvases and Elsa strained to reach for them. Adjusting herself so her arm could reach even further down the narrow slats, she stretched her arm with all her might until her eyes caught a glimpse of her family staring back at her in one of the photos. As if she'd almost been bitten she recoiled her hand and backed away from the boxes, turning to run before she slammed into Anna and screamed with a fright.

"What is going on down here? Are you okay?" Anna held Elsa in her arms as she looked around the basement and spied the toppled box on the floor. Elsa was breathing heavily and she clung to Anna's arms as she tried to catch her breath.

"I-I was putting stuff away and the box fell over. I just got overwhelmed." She swallowed hard as she tried to regain control over herself.

"It's okay, I'm here. I'll help you clean it up." A look of concern grew over Anna's face as she watched the rapid rise and fall of Elsa's back.

"I can't. That's how this happened in the first place. I tried to clean and got too freaked out. There's a picture of my parents between the canvases...I haven't seen his face in six years and I sure as hell don't want to see it now."

"It's okay. Go back upstairs and relax. You're going to get the baby all worked up." Anna put her hand on Elsa's back and led her towards the stairs.

"I know, I know. She's kicking up a storm already." As Elsa trekked back up the stairs Anna surveyed the mess spread across the floor.

One by one she put everything back into the box, taking a moment to examine each item with a keen eye. She reached back in between the canvases and grabbed the old family photo that had almost sent Elsa into a panic attack. She looked at the picture as her face twisted, taking in the only picture of Elsa's parents she'd ever seen. She was surprised to see that her mother had dark chestnut hair, nothing like the snow white quality of Elsa's. Her father stood stoically behind Elsa and her mother, dressed in a dark double breasted suit. He wasn't smiling and the only sign of affection were the hands that rested on his wife and daughter's shoulders. And then there was Elsa. A tiny blonde little girl not more than a few feet tall, her ever present braid fastened in the front by a black headband. Her eyes were filled with joy and captured a certain sparkle that neither of her parents seemed to share. If it wasn't for the striking resemblance to Elsa's mother, Anna would have sworn the stork had dropped her off.

"Anna are you done yet?" Elsa voice rang down the stairs, causing Anna to drop the photo.

"Coming." She quickly put the lid back on the top of the box and straightened the stack of boxes to prevent them from falling over again.

Before she returned upstairs, she bent over and picked up the photo, putting it into the pocket of her robe as she dashed back up to check on Elsa.


	15. Chapter 15

Life had been pretty quiet around the Arendelle house the past few days. Though that was pretty common this time of year. The anniversary of the death of her parents always casted a melancholy gloom over Anna. The first few years after their death she would dread seeing the date on the calendar, knowing it was a day that changed her life forever. Over time the pattern had become the same. First, it started with dreams, usually the week before. Anna frequently dreamed about her parents on other nights but these other dreams were extremely vivid, full of fear and sadness. She'd often wake up flailing her limbs about in a pool of her own sweat and Elsa would have to hold her until she calmed down and could be lulled back to sleep. By the time the actual day rolled around, Anna would be very quiet and distant. Her head hung low and her normally skipper gate was more of a somber drawl. Even though there wasn't much said, she never wanted to be alone; always wanting Elsa to be within an arm's reach away. Being alone was what she feared the most.

Elsa worried that this year would be especially hard on Anna. It would have been the year they would have become grandparents and witnessed one of the most joyous times in their daughter's life. And they knew they would have made the best grandparents. Anna's parents were the most welcoming people, always warm and caring. Their house was usually filled with laughter and good spirits, something that was a foreign concept to Elsa. Her parents supported Anna in whatever she wanted to pursue. Even when she changed majors three times in one year, they understood and told her it was merely part of the journey to find herself and what she wanted in life.

The first time Anna brought Elsa home to meet her parents she could hardly wait. Not only because they were amazing people but she wanted to show Elsa that happy families did in fact exist. She knew her parents would love Elsa and although they could never replace her own parents, Anna was sure they'd love her just as much as she loved Elsa.

After months of hearing about this wonderful and mysterious new woman her daughter was dating, Anna's mom insisted that she bring Elsa to Thanksgiving dinner at their quaint home in the suburbs. Elsa had never made it far enough into a relationship to meet someone's parents before and was nervous to say the least. She hadn't even been to a Thanksgiving dinner before either and this was also going to be their first holiday together. It was going to be a day jam packed with firsts, the thought of which made Elsa's stomach tie in knots. Bustling through her closet she frantically tried to pick out something to wear the day before.

"What's the matter? You look all flustered." Anna giggled from Elsa's plush and comfy bed as she sorted through the collection of colorful dresses and shirts.

"I don't know what to wear. What does one even wear to Thanksgiving? Is it dressy or casual? I feel like I should look nice since I'm meeting your parents and all but I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard." Her steely eyes filled with desperation. Anna shook her head and continued to giggle as she rolled onto her stomach.

"It's pretty casual at our house. Seriously you could just wear jeans. My parents are very relaxed and go with flow." Anna's hands made a little swirling gesture and she playfully clicked her tongue. Elsa breathed a short sigh of relief and went back to perusing the more casual area of her closet.

"What about this?" She asked, holding up pair of nice dark jeans and a sharp heather gray sweater, trying to read the expression on Anna's face.

"Perfect. Wear that and then you can stop worrying about it." She replied, flashing Elsa a reassuring smile.

If only Elsa knew just how much she was getting herself worked up for nothing. Anna's parents were so excited to meet Elsa they wouldn't have cared if she showed up in a paper bag. Elsa folded the jeans and sweater and set them aside on the solid dark wood dresser before joining Anna on the heavenly duvet.

"You think they'll like me?"

Anna scoffed at the absurdity of her question. "There is nothing not to love about you. Of _course_ they will. They will love you because _I_ love you." She leaned down over the blonde and kissed her worries away with loving lips.

"I love you too." They'd only been dating a little over two months and the phrase _I love you_ was something they'd only started saying recently. It wasn't something Elsa said often, she'd been burned too times by family and ex-lovers in the past to believe it when someone declared it.

The first time Anna told her she loved her Elsa hesitated and didn't reply right away, prompting Anna to ask her if she loved her in return. Half of her heart did love Anna, with a love she'd never felt before, but the other half reminded her that Anna was only twenty one and couldn't possibly know what love was. But she couldn't deny the electricity between them, an indescribable, intangible feeling that went far beyond infatuation or lust.

The following day they pulled up to the two story track house bordered by a beautiful assortment of azaleas and tulips, ready to meet the parents and glutinously eat like there was no tomorrow. Elsa understood the historical significance of Thanksgiving but didn't understand how giant floats on parade and stuffing oneself silly had become part of the time honored tradition. Anna was in the middle of one of her many ramblings trying to explain the normality of American holidays.

"I'm sure there must be _some_ holiday in Norway where they do completely ridiculous things that have no historical merit whatsoever." She continued to tease. "Actually yes, there is. Around Easter there's a...well it's a pastime time not an official holiday, called _Paakekrim_ where everyone spends the day reading crime novels or watching crime shows on TV." Anna drew back in disbelief. "You're making this up." Elsa leaned against the seat and laughed, which was great because it helped her relax all the more. "I wish I were." She said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Okay that's it. This Easter we are watching CSI for an entire day." Anna declared with a pointed finger at Elsa.

Their giggling came to halt when Elsa spied what could only be Anna's mom peering out of one the windows, waving enthusiastically. "You'll be fine, just breathe. I promise they don't bite." She tried to reassure a tensing Elsa.

"Hi girls! This must be Elsa. I've heard so much about you dear. I'm Anna's mom Lillian." Elsa held her hand out to shake Lillian's as a blush crept across her cheeks.

"So nice to meet yo-" Before Elsa could finish, Lillian enveloped her in a firm yet gentle hug. It was so warm and motherly that Elsa found herself wanting to push away at the overwhelming physical contact and yet never leave at the same time. She couldn't help but notice she emanated some sort of sweet smelling scent. A stark contrast to the overpowering designer perfume Elsa's mother wore.

"Hi honey. Your dad is in the kitchen peeling potatoes." She gave Anna a quick kiss on the cheek and led the girls inside. The house was definitely smaller than what Elsa was accustomed to but it was like something right out of television show. It was very warm and homey; the walls were covered with frame after frame of family photos. A picture of a young Anna in jersey holding a soccer ball with two missing front teeth grabbed Elsa's attention first. The adorableness of the little freckled face girl was almost too much to handle.

Tagging along slightly behind Anna they found their way to kitchen where sure enough Anna's dad was hunched over the sink, peeler in hand as she primed the potatoes for their boiling bath on the stove.

"Hey, there's my beautiful girl!" Anna wasn't lying when she said her dad had red hair. It wasn't quite the same fiery shade as Anna's but it was easy to see who she inherited her good looks and freckles from.

"Dad, this is Elsa. Elsa this is my dad Andrew." Anna chirped, pushing the reluctant blonde towards the robust man standing at the sink.

"It's a pleasure. Anna has said nothing but good things about you. First rule of the house, my house is your house so please make yourself feel comfortable and just ask me or Lillian if there's anything you need." He set the peeler down on the side of the sink and wiped his hands clean with a floral dish towel before smothering Elsa in a big bear hug. Their physical affection took some getting used to, but Elsa quickly understood how Anna came to be so loving and affectionate herself.

"Thank you. Your home is really lovely and I'm looking forward to what Anna tells me will be the best meal I've ever had in my life." The blush on her face continued to spread as she smiled demurely.

"Good and I hope you're hungry because there will be plenty of food." He chortled, turning back to the sink where he continued to peel away at the potatoes.

"Come on I'll show you my room." Anna huffed as she whisked Elsa up the stairs towards her childhood room. The walls were covered in a light pink damask wallpaper her dad put up when they first moved into the house fifteen years ago. There was a neatly made single twin bed with a pink bedspread and glow in the dark stars scattered across the ceiling.

"I had no idea you liked pink so much." Elsa clasped her hands in front of her as she slowly moved her gaze about the room. "You mean how much my parents like pink. I mean it's okay but they picked it out, not me. I think I would have gone with green or something." Anna hoisted herself onto the creaking bed and watched Elsa move about.

"What color was your room? I'll bet it was blue. You're always wearing it and half your apartment is light blue." Anna loved the early stages of getting to know someone and Elsa was still somewhat of a mystery she'd yet to unravel.

"Purple actually." Her mouth agape as she looked through the many trophies Anna had arranged in one of the corners of the room. Track, gymnastics, tennis. Anna seemed to excel at just about every sport, with the hardware to prove it.

"Wait a minute. This one says junior varsity cheer. You were a cheerleader?" A mischievous grin stretched across her face, eyes widening at the thought of Anna cheering on the sidelines of a football game in one of those skimpy little skirts.

"Just junior year." Elsa was thoroughly amused by this intriguing bit of information. "Please tell me you still have your uniform." It wasn't really a question so much as a plea. Never having seen cheerleaders until she came to the states, the uniforms were definitely something that had peeked Elsa's interest.

"You'll be happy to know that I do. Shall I take it with me when we leave today?" Her teasing tone only egged Elsa on further.

"Oh yes we shall." Unable to resist the redhead's charm, she sauntered over to the bed and brushed a single finger along Anna's arm, making little circles as it traveled upward leaving goose bumps in its wake. "And I expect a full on half time show this evening. I saw those gymnastics medals and I think you've been holding out on me." Her voice laced with a sultry undertone.

Friskily grabbing the blonde by her waist, she pulled Elsa onto the bed, forcing her to collapse flush against Anna's lithe body. She threaded her fingers through Elsa's draping mane with that all too familiar look of want in her eyes. "After twenty one years, I finally have the most gorgeous woman in the world in this bed." Anna said as she felt Elsa shifting on top of her.

Elsa ignored the impetuous voice in her head reminding her that Lillian or Andrew could walk in at any moment and instead let her lips sweetly meet with Anna's. The tantalizing swipe of a tongue across her slightly parted lips impelled Elsa to deepen the kiss, causing Anna to momentarily forget where they were as her hands began to slither down the blonde's stomach and dip below the waistline of her jeans.

"We have to stop. Your parents could walk in any minute. They're probably down there right now wondering what's taking us so long. And we did come to see _them_ after all." Elsa was right, and Anna groaned with frustration.

"Fine but just let me…" Grasping her hands firmly against the back pockets of Elsa's jeans, helping herself to a hand full of the blonde's derriere with a firm squeeze. "Ahh yeah. Okay I'm good. Let's go back downstairs." Prying themselves off the bed, they returned downstairs to find Lillian setting the table and Andrew mashing the potatoes.

"Hey girls! Dinner will be ready in a few more minutes if you want to help put some of the food out on the table." Anna grabbed a serving dish full of piping hot stuffing and handed it to Elsa before bringing a green bean casserole over to the table. They took a seat next to each other at the long wooden table adorned with a festive floral centerpiece complete with a turkey and pilgrim figurine. Anna's mouth salivated as her parents set dish after dish of delectable food out on the table. Elsa quickly realized she probably had worn the wrong pair of pants and should have opted for something with a little more give in the waist, seeing as there were only four people but enough food to feed ten.

"Alright, who's ready to eat?" Andrew's baritone voice rang out as he brought the turkey out on a large serving platter. "And because Elsa is our guest of honor I'll let her have first pick. White or dark dear?" Elsa's scrunched her eyebrows together and looked to Anna for guidance.

"He means meat. White or dark meat?" She clarified.

"Oh, dark please." She said as she took her napkin out of its festive ring and delicately placed it in her lap.

"Good choice. I'm a dark meat man myself. Anna and her mom always want white." Elsa nervously chuckled as Andrew placed a few slices of meat on her plate, doing the same for Anna and Lillian. When everyone was served Andrew declared it was time to dig in. Dishes and serving platters were feverishly being passed around the table, the sound of clanking cutlery and comments about how good the food looked filled the room.

"So Elsa, I hear this is your first Thanksgiving?" Lillian asked as she began to cut into her slice of turkey.

"It is and I have to say I'm enjoying it very much so far. You're both very good hosts." Andrew and Lillian smiled at each other, both noticing how charmingly polite and well-mannered Elsa was.

"Anna tells us you're from Norway. You're very far away from home, how do like living here?" What had felt like a pleasant conversation was now bordering on the inevitable topic of family. She knew it was coming and tried to grit and bare it. She didn't want to be rude in front of Anna's parents and she knew they weren't trying to pry but just making polite conversation.

"I moved here my freshman year of college, so a little over four years ago and I really like it. The weather is much nicer and I really enjoy American culture." Short and sweet. Just how she planned it, hoping to avoid any triggering questions being that her emotions were still pretty raw considering she'd fallen out with her family just five months ago. It wasn't fresh but it was a deep wound she was still healing from.

"Your parents must miss you like crazy. I know I'd miss Anna if she moved halfway around the world. Do you get to visit often?" Lillian's question made Elsa's stomach drop and she fought hard to control the expression on her face, biting her lip as she tried to think of the best way to answer. _Just be honest and she'll stop asking. Control yourself._ Anna looked over at Elsa and saw the look of anguish on her face. Like she was struggling with something but Anna could never figure out what. She knew Elsa wasn't close with her family; it didn't take a genius to figure out why she made that face and every time someone mentioned her family or home. Trying to ease whatever it was going on inside her head, she soothingly rubbed the top of Elsa's thigh while continuing to spear the green bean casserole with her fork.

"To be honest...I'm not really that close with my family. It's hard to explain but I'm basically on my own." The clattering of forks ceased and all eyes were suddenly on Elsa. Anna's hand moved from Elsa's thigh to her back, continuing to comfort her.

"You know, I was the same way with my family." Andrew exclaimed as he set his fork down and leaned back in his chair. Elsa cocked her head in his direction, intrigued by his confession.

"My dad and I, we just weren't cut from the same cloth. My brother, he was his golden child. We could never work out our differences so I kept him at a distance for the sake of my marriage." Anna had never heard her dad speak so bluntly about their family, but it was clear he was trying to empathize with Elsa. Here she was in a new home meeting her girlfriend's parents for the first time and she'd been accidently cornered into the most dreaded conversation. Andrew looked at her; his piercing green eyes were sympathetic and kind. She was still so young to endure such a thing and he felt for her from the bottom of his heart.

"I know what it's like to be young and on your own. I think you're so brave, I really do." He didn't need to know the details of what had transpired, her eyes said it all.

The back of Elsa's throat swelled as she tried to maintain her composure, feeling like she could break at any moment. "Thank you." Her words were so soft Andrew had to practically read her lips to make out what she'd said.

"You're very welcome sweetheart." Giving Elsa a big grin before returning to the enormous meal on his plate.

"Now Lillian, Anna, no more asking about Elsa's family for the rest of the day. This is supposed to be happy holiday. She's been here an hour and we've almost made her cry. What kind of family are we?" His jovial tone was so lighthearted it made everyone burst into laughter, especially Elsa. She was so glad to have that behind her and relished at the thought of having someone who understood her without having to divulge her whole past. Andrew was a real man, a real father. He was strong and kind, gracious and caring. His family was clearly his priority and he made it a point to let them know.

The rest of dinner was much more fun. Andrew told old stories about Anna growing up and the various pranks she played over the years. Lillian chimed in with more sentimental stories and Elsa could see that she and Anna shared a strong mother daughter bond like she'd never seen before.

When dinner was done, they retreated to the enormous fluffy sectional in the family room to recover from their overindulging, while Anna's parents packed away the leftovers and loaded the dishwasher in the kitchen. Anna was nestled into the elbow of the sectional with Elsa sitting close beside her, legs draped over Anna's as they entangled their fingers together.

"I'm sorry about earlier. They didn't mean any harm, really they love you." Anna insisted.

"It's okay. I'm kind of glad in a way because what your dad said made me feel better. I've never known anyone else who's been through this." Her thumb playfully brushed the inside of Anna's palm, checking to make sure Anna's parents weren't looking before capturing Anna's bottom lip in a quick kiss. "Seriously, your family is great and you're really lucky to have them."

"Thank you." Pressing her lips back to Elsa's.

Unbeknownst to them, Andrew and Lillian had been peering around the corner of the kitchen, quickly catching glances of the two curled up together on the couch, sharing those sweet kisses that new lovers do.

"Remember when we were like that?" Lillian playfully bounced her brows as she scraped the mashed potatoes into a plastic food container. Andrew came up beside her and nuzzled his prominent chin into her neck.

"What do you mean _remember_? Aren't we still like that?" He jested.

"I think there's something special there. I haven't seen Anna so crazy about someone like this before. I mean look at them." They both quickly caught another glimpse of Anna and Elsa murmuring sweet nothings to each other as Anna kissed Elsa on the nose and stroked her cheek.

"Is that not the most adorable thing ever? And she's gorgeous. I didn't want to make a big fuss about it and embarrass Anna but they're a really good looking couple." She finished packing the Tupperware into a bag for Anna to take home, placing an uneaten pumpkin pie on top. She could use the extra food being that she was still on the starving student diet until she graduated and got a job in the spring.

"We'll have to wait and see. At least we know we know she'll be spending Christmas with us this year. You always wanted another girl. I think you may have gotten your wish." He chuckled as he lovingly tickled his wife's side.

* * *

Christmas came and went. And it was a million times better than Thanksgiving, with even more food and sweets. Before they knew it, it was June and Elsa was sitting in between Lillian and Andrew at Anna's graduation. She cheered as Anna walked across the stage in her black cap and flowing gown, claiming that coveted diploma she'd worked so hard for. Not long after, Anna followed in her mother's footsteps and got her first job as a teacher.

As time went by and their romance grew into something stronger, Lillian tried to put the bug into their ears to get married. They'd been together for two years and talk of moving in together and making plans for the future were in full swing. They both knew they wanted kids, especially Anna who had even gone into teaching because she loved to be around them so much, and Andrew and Lillian could hardly wait for grandchildren. So it wasn't much of a surprise when Elsa stopped by after work one day to formally ask Andrew and Lillian for Anna's hand in marriage, wanting their blessing before proposing to Anna. Not that they would say no but Elsa liked the formality of asking permission. Overjoyed, they of course said yes. Elsa had been toying with several ideas of how to propose to Anna but knew Andrew and Lillian would be able to offer some great suggestions. Andrew knew the perfect place, the small secluded beach Anna spent many summers at with her family. A beach that was now the place Elsa and Anna escaped to on hot summer days, lounging the day away under an umbrella with a cool drink in their hand. It truly was perfect. Once Elsa picked out a simple princess cut diamond solitaire ring, she planned to take Anna to the beach late in the afternoon and propose just before sunset.

As the tourists and beach dwellers packed up their things and headed home, the beach became their private paradise. Anna pulled her shorts back on over her olive green bikini while Elsa nervously waited already fully clothed, feeling the weight of the ring in her pocket as butterflies danced in her stomach.

"Alright, let's get out of here. It's getting cold." A shiver ran down her spine as Anna zipped up her jacket and slipped her flip flops on.

"Wait. Before we go, there's something I want to ask you." She took Anna's hands in her own and she spoke the words she'd rehearsed in her head several times. "We've been talking about this for a while and I've never felt so sure about something before in my entire life." She dropped to one knee and assumed the iconic pose, her hand shaking as she pulled the ring from her pocket. "I want to ask if...if you'll marry me. Because I love you more than anything and...I can't live without you."

A devious smirk came over Anna's face and for a moment Elsa panicked, not expecting that to be her reaction, and she still hadn't heard her say yes. Elsa looked bewildered as she watched Anna mimic her and drop to one knee as she reached into her own pocket and pulled out a round cut sapphire solitaire, holding it out to where Elsa held hers.

"Wait. How did you know?" She blurted, blinking her eyes in confusion.

"My parents aren't very good at keeping secrets. But I'm glad they told me because I wanted to do this together. Oh and yes, yes I do." The smirk faded into a more sincere smile as she gazed into Elsa's eyes.

Elsa was so taken with the moment that she forgot what she was doing. Once she refocused she took Anna's left hand and slid the ring onto her finger, lifting her hand up to kiss the glittering stone. Anna did the same and began to put the ring on Elsa's finger.

"I know you like blue, so I thought a sapphire would look really beautiful. And I like that they're different." Elsa stared into the deep blue gem, overwhelmed by the thought Anna had put into her surprise.

"Wait, I didn't even ask!" Anna has been so caught up in her sneaky plan that she forgot to even pop the question to Elsa. She cleared her throat and tried to take on a more serious tone. "Elsa, please make me the happiest woman on earth and say that you'll marry me. I love you and I want to build a life together with you." Even though the ring was already on her finger, Anna anxiously waited for Elsa's answer.

"Yes. A thousand times…yes."

* * *

Winter was now its way out and wedding plans were starting to shape as the date of their spring wedding grew closer. Elsa was also busy with her new job at a prestigious firm and plans to build their own home on a plot of land they had just bought close to Anna's work.

Anna was laying on the bed amongst a sea of bridal magazines, trying to get an idea of what she would want to try on when her mom took her to the dress shop the following week. She licked her finger and flipped through the glossy pages as she pictured herself in each of the posh white gowns. Elsa was busy drawing out sketches for the new home in another room when she heard the phone ring. Being closest to the phone she set down her pencil and went to answer it. Anna continued to daydream away as she half listened in on the conversation.

"She's here, may I ask who's calling. Yes, I'm family." Elsa was slightly thrown by the question.

"Wait what's wrong?" Her voice went up so sharply that it startled Anna who had abruptly sprang from the bed to find out what all the commotion was about.

"Oh my God! What hospital?" Elsa's hand was pressed against her forehead as she frantically searched for her car keys. "We're coming, we're coming." She repeated.

"What's wrong?" Anna figured from Elsa's half of the conversation that something serious had happened, trying to remember if she'd heard the word hospital or not.

Slapped with the stark reality that she'd have to break the news to Anna, Elsa trembled as she tried to repeat the abhorred news she'd just been told over the phone.

"Anna your parents...your parents were in a car accident on their way home from their ski trip. They're on their way to the hospital but they said they're in critical condition." Elsa helplessly watched Anna's pupils dilate in shock; the magazine slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.

"Look, we may not have of lot of time. We have to go." Elsa's voice became more panicked and strained. Anna stood frozen, unable to move or even make out what Elsa was saying as her world played out in slow motion. Elsa ran to their room and grabbed a jacket and a pair of shoes for Anna, frantically trying to get themselves out the door and on their way to the hospital.

She managed to shove a pair boots onto Anna's feet, zipped her jacket and helped her to the car. They'd made it the hospital just after the ambulance arrived, but it was too late. Her parents' small sedan had been no match for the massive semi-truck that hit them after spinning out on black ice.

* * *

Days later Anna was still in bed, she hadn't moved from there since they came home from the hospital.

"What are we going to do? We're in the middle of planning this huge wedding that's supposed to happen in three months." Anna slumped against the headboard of the bed and dejectedly glared at the ceiling as Elsa held Anna's hand in her own, caressing the top with her thumb.

"Don't worry about that now. We can put things on hold." Anna's eyes lidded as she defiantly shook her head. "No I don't want to do that. Besides, your work visa will be up soon and you'd have to start a green card process for nothing."

"That should be the last reason why we change anything. But if you really want to because of how you feel, we can still keep the date. In fact I was thinking we should scale it down. Too much takes away from the moment you know?" Elsa waited for a response but Anna just stared off into space, motionless with grief.

"I won't even have anyone to walk me down the aisle. My parents won't get to see me on what's supposed to be the happiest day of my life." Her voice trembled as her eyes squeezed shut, forcing out a single tear. Try as she might she couldn't hold back the cries building in her chest that were begging to be released.

"My whole family is gone." Her sobs turned into wails as she struggled to breathe amidst the hiccups of her cries. Her heart ached and she felt like every muscle in her body was going to give out on her.

"Anna, look at me. _Look_ at me." Elsa gently placed her hands on the sides of Anna's tear stained cheeks and pulled her face closer to hers. "This is devastating. But we're going to get through this. You're not alone and I will be here for you every minute of every day. I don't know if things will ever change with my parents but as far as I'm concerned _you_ are my family. Do you understand?" Her slender finger brushed along the side of Anna's cheek as she paused a moment, allowing her words to sink in. Anna's eyelids slowly opened and her eyes met with Elsa's oceanic blues. "It's just you and me." Her lip quivered as she spoke and her hand squeezed Elsa's tighter.

* * *

Her parents' last wishes were to be cremated together and have their ashes scattered off a bluff overlooking the ocean near the much beloved family beach. The view was always beautiful, especially at sunset when the sky was a variable palette of pinks and oranges. Anna was relieved that her parents had opted for something more intimate, as the thought of a formal funeral would have been too emotionally exhausting for her. It was already too much for her to pick up the urn from the mortuary, sending Elsa to collect it instead.

The urn sat on the mantle of the fireplace for a week until the weather was pleasant enough to drive out to the bluff. Elsa drove through the winding roads of the rolling hills near the beach as Anna placidly held onto the thick gold urn that sat in her lap. Her hands occasionally running over the smooth brass as she tried to grasp the heavy reality of what her life had become. A lifetime of memories, people she could never replace and would never see again, now just contents inside of an urn.

The car pulled into a small dirt parking lot near the bluff as Elsa unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to Anna. "Are you ready?" Resting a hand on Anna's shoulder, giving her all the time she needed to respond. Anna breathed a shaky sigh and nodded, tightening her grip around the urn as almost to hug it one last time. They made their way up the narrow path to the top off the bluff, arm and arm as Elsa tried to be the pillar of strength Anna needed her to be. When they reached the top they took a moment to take in the panoramic view. The sun was sparkling off the white capped waves of the ocean and the sky was the clearest blue, not a cloud to be seen. Elsa was thankful to notice there was a slight breeze, as she wanted to this to be as perfect and beautiful a farewell as it could be. Anna stood mere feet away from the edge of the bluff, overlooking the rocky shoreline below; still clutching the urn.

"I wrote something down that I wanted to share, if that's okay. I know you want to have the last words so I'll wait till you're ready." Elsa pulled a small piece of white paper from her pocket and carefully unfolded it.

"Now is good. I don't want to drag this out too long or I might not be able to do this." Gesturing to the urn in her hands.

"Andrew and Lillian, you were the family I never had as a child but always wanted. Thank you for the laughter and all the wonderful memories. Thank you for raising such a beautiful and kind woman, who's changed my life. I promise to take the best care of Anna and love her each day for the rest of my life, as you have done." She fought to hold her tears in, but she couldn't stop them from welling up and she quickly wiped them away, trying to stay strong for Anna so that they could get through their goodbyes.

"That was really beautiful." While Elsa teared up, her words had brought a soft smile to Anna's lips. It reminded her that she was in good hands, she wasn't alone. She also wondered how she ever would have made it through this without Elsa.

"I'm ready." Anna took a deep breath and closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, listening to sound of the gulls in the distance. Her words were short but simple and to the point. "Mom...Dad, I will miss so very much. But I know you will be with me, watching me. Watching us. I love you." With that Anna took a step forward, removed the top of the urn and watched the wind carry the ashes away into the crashing waves below.


	16. Chapter 16

As another busy day at the firm was wrapping up, Elsa was showing off her latest batch of ultrasound photos to Tiana.

"So how big is she now? It's kind of hard to tell by these pictures." Tiana's eyes squinted as she tried to figure out just what exactly she was looking at in the photo.

"I just looked at my pregnancy app this morning and it said at 22 weeks she's the size of a mango." Elsa's eyes were locked on the precious outline of her baby's profile, particularly her adorable little rosebud lips.

"Look at that cute button nose. It looks a lot like _yours_ Elsa." She said laying a keen and suggestive eye on the blonde.

"My nose doesn't really look that different from Anna's so _don't_ go reading into anything. But it _is_ a cute nose isn't it?" Elsa tapped her finger against the picture of the baby's nose as she chuckled to herself, lost in bliss.

"Be honest, who would you rather the baby look like?" Tiana boldly raised her eyebrows and flashed Elsa a serious expression, digging for whatever information she could get out of her.

"Honestly, it doesn't matter. Although having a kid with Anna's hair would be nice. You can't look at the hair are not be happy. It's so lively and colorful, the exact opposite of mine." Tiana scoffed as she grabbed Elsa's perfectly braided hair to examine it more closely.

"What are you talking about? Your hair is great too; it's long and thick, people would kill for your hair so don't say anything bad about being a natural blonde." Just as Elsa started to reply she heard her phone vibrating on her desk.

"Oh, hold on. Anna just texted me."

 _I have good news. Hope you're hungry because we're going out tonight to celebrate._

Elsa racked her brain trying to think what good news Anna could possibly have.

 _Do I get a hint?_

 _No. I'll meet you at home and tell you when we get to dinner._

"What's new with Anna?" Tiana continued to look through the photos, grinning like a fool at each one.

"I don't know. She said she had good news but won't tell me what it is. But we have a reason to go to a nice dinner for once. We haven't gone out on a date night in ages." Her eyes drifted back to the photos.

"You guys do a date night? I've been trying to get Naveen to commit to a certain night to do that but he's more of the spontaneous and surprising type." They both laughed in unison.

"I know what you mean. Anna was the same way but I finally got her to set a day and time for a regular date night. And of course I had to set a reminder on her phone but it worked." Tiana stacked the photos, clacking them against the desk as she straightened the stack and handed them back to Elsa.

"You two really are lucky to have each other. I better get back to my desk and pack up. Naveen and his pals are having a jam session tonight and I have to been home to serve up the snacks. See you tomorrow. Bye little baby." She bent down to Elsa's bump and waved goodbye.

* * *

It was Anna's good news to celebrate and so obviously she would be the one to pick out the restaurant. Elsa had envisioned something smart and slightly upscale but nothing too fancy. Perhaps even a place that was quiet where they'd get a chance to talk. But that's certainly not what Anna had in mind. Her idea of celebrating meant dragging Elsa to Dave and Busters, where she could eat whatever she wanted and still be able to play skee ball and air hockey to her heart's content.

"This isn't exactly where I thought we were going when you said we were going out to dinner." Elsa looked around the dim room illuminated by the bright neon lights of the games off in the distance. It was as if someone had taken Las Vegas and jammed into the restaurant. The sounds of drunken laughter from a table of college guys next to them was matched only by the screaming of rowdy children in the game area.

"Come on, you loved it here when we came last time remember? You were like the queen of skee ball that night. You won two-hundred tickets on that thing and I got to get that Newton's cradle for my desk. You _know_ you had a blast." Anna's eyes were wildly looking around the room trying to decide which game she was going to play first.

"Anna I'm the only pregnant person here. In fact I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in here, besides the kids, that doesn't have an alcoholic beverage plastered to their hand." The sassy look on her face only encouraged Anna more to push Elsa's out of her comfort zone.

"Pfft. So what if you're the only pregnant person in here. What, pregnant people can't have a good time and play air hockey with their wife?" Anna handed her a menu and began to look through the glossy pictures of the oversized portions of food. "I'm getting the Philly burger." She looked at Elsa's face, fraught with turmoil until she noticed the under 600 calorie menu on the side of the table and began flipping through it.

"Wait you're pregnant, you're not on a diet. You can eat anything you want." Anna tried to snatch the menu from Elsa's hands but the blonde was relentless.

"Sorry, but I don't want our baby's health to be dependent upon ribs and burgers." Swiftly pulling the menu back from Anna's clutches.

"Elsa please don't be a stick in the mud. Loosen up and have some fun. I love fun Elsa. Please go find her and tell her that her wife would like to hang out with her for a while." Anna put on her best pouty face and looked at Elsa with puppy dog eyes.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I just had a different image of this evening in my head. But I will _adjust_ that image for your sake." She uncrossed her arms and attempted to appear more relaxed.

Soon enough the waiter came by and took their orders. Elsa was a patient woman but they'd been at the restaurant for quite some time now and Anna still hadn't said a word about her good news. The waiter soon returned with a diet soda for Anna and water with lemon for Elsa and she waited until he left to ask Anna just what exactly they were celebrating.

"Alright so are you going to tell me what I've been waiting in agony since I got off work to hear?" Elsa squeezed her lemon into her water before giving it a swirl with her straw, taking a few sips as she waited for Anna to respond.

"Yes! Okay. So I got called into the principal's office this morning and at first I thought I was in trouble, but then he started telling me what a great job I'd been doing this year and how my kids got the highest scores on the state proficiency tests and…." Anna sucked in a huge breath of air and held it, her face holding the biggest grin.

" _And_ …" Elsa didn't know if she was supposed to guess or just wait for Anna to pass out.

"And they're giving me the teacher of the year award!"

Elsa snapped forward and grabbed Anna's hands in her own. "What?! That's amazing! Oh my gosh you so deserve it too! My brilliant, brilliant teacher!" Excitedly kissing each of Anna's hands over and over.

"And they're going to present it to me at the district's annual year end banquet next week. It's really nice with a sit down dinner and everything. Very fancy and right up your alley. That's why I wanted to come here to celebrate because it's more low-key than the actual night of the presentation."

"Oh my God I'm so excited for you. And I get to be your date and the proud wife." Elsa gushed as she quickly made a conscious effort to be more mindful of her mood now the she had a better understanding of why Anna had brought her such an establishment.

With their orders in place Anna sprang from her seat and began to make a mad dash for the skee ball area before quickly backtracking to wait for Elsa who was still back at the table. Some days she completely forgot that Elsa wasn't able to keep up with her anymore. It was becoming increasingly difficult to use her abs for anything, making getting up a whole event in itself for Elsa.

"Okay here's your game card. And don't be shy about using because I put $20 on that thing." Anna handed the card to Elsa who was trying to her best to look excited, forcing her eyes wide and smiling.

Twenty dollars meant that Anna clearly intended on playing games for a lot longer than Elsa had anticipated. It had been over a year since they'd last been to the restaurant and at least then Elsa was able to enhance her enjoyment with a stiff drink, or two. Pregnant and completely sober made the place take on a whole new feeling and she was so very over conscious about sticking out like a sore thumb.

Anna was already well on her way to racking up points on her machine as she chucked the ball up the ramp ten times harder that she needed to, the sound of which caused Elsa to jump as she tried to slide her game card into the reader.

"Come on Elsa. I know you want to do this and win me something from the prize area!" Anna continued to taunt her.

Elsa watched as the balls descended down the alley with a clack as she bent down to pick one up, gracefully rolling it up the ramp before it bounced off the side and pathetically landed back in the gutter with no points.

"Whoa, Elsa. I know it's been a while but I didn't expect you to be that rusty. If you're that self-conscious we can play something else." She suggested.

"No it's not that. It's like my center of gravity is completely off. Plus I can't bend over as well as you can, you know." She said laughing at the ridiculousness of her predicament.

From the back one couldn't even tell that Elsa was pregnant. After having lost some weight during the first three months due to morning sickness, she was only up five pounds from her pre-baby weight. While her arms and legs may have still have been willowy thin, her belly was now beyond the point of being confused for anything other than a baby bump. The awkward stares from strangers trying to decipher if she was pregnant or just letting her body go had recently been replaced by smiles of joy and even words of congratulations or questions about her due date.

However now her rotund belly was throwing off her skee ball game and making her even more uncomfortable. Anna continued to roll ball after ball, yelling an emphatic "yes" and pumping her fist every time she got the ball in the 100 hole, followed by a mini victory dance.

Meanwhile Elsa took a minute to cock her head and examine the physics of the whole thing. It took a few more tries and a lot of overcompensating before she finally got her ball to jump into one of the holes and score some points.

"Looks like somebody found her game. See it's like riding a bike. It all comes back to you." Anna gave Elsa a chummy pat on the back before going returning to her own game.

After a few minutes Elsa had settled into a rhythm and was sinking almost every ball into one of the high scoring holes. Distracted by her effortless performance, Anna stared in amazement at the tickets endlessly streaming out of Elsa's machine, the blonde grinning in triumph as continued to perfect her throw.

"You have to admit you're having _so_ much more fun now aren't you? Admit it." Snickering at Elsa with a confidence only Anna could possess.

"Yes, I am. I like winning." Elsa's eyes widened as a mischievous grin stretched across her face. Anna considered herself to be competitive but Elsa took winning to a whole new level. She didn't just like to win, she liked the challenge and the chance to show off her mastery at something. Anna always liked to imagine this is how Elsa must be at work when she had to win over a client with her designs or fight for a winning bid on some plot of land.

"Our food is here." Anna said as Elsa tore off her tickets and folded them in a neat flat stack, handing them off to Anna with the huge smile of satisfaction.

"That's my girl. Queen of the skee ball." Pulling Elsa close to her, as if to claim her for her own.

"We can play more after we eat right? I only went through half the points on my card and I really wanted to beat that high score that was taunting me on the leader board." The childlike excitement in Elsa's voice was almost too much for Anna to handle. She loved this side of her.

"Yes you can but you have to finish your dinner first. Oh my God I sound like a mom already." She gasped as she lead them back to their table with an arm wrapped around Elsa's shoulder, who was still looking back at the skee ball machines.

* * *

Knowing Elsa would take longer to get ready, Anna let her hop in the shower first and get a head start. Anna was still fixing her hair when Elsa walked into the closet and pulled out her new black wrap dress from the maternity store.

Normally she'd jump at the chance to wear some new fancy glittering dress, but this was Anna's night and she wanted _her_ to be the center of attention. The fabric was stretchy and oddly comfortable as she slipped it over her head and pulled it down, smoothing it out over her bump. The dress perfectly accentuated a pregnant woman's body. The empire waist hugged against her still small ribcage while the flow of the dress showed off her new curves without making her feel bigger than she already was.

She also saved a lot of time by sweeping her hair back in a simple twisted bun, giving Anna the chance to show of her fiery mane for a change. She grabbed a matching black handbag and headed downstairs to wait patiently for Anna, giddy with anticipation to see what her princess would be wearing to the ball.

Elsa didn't have any idea what Anna even had planned to wear that evening. The week had been so busy that they weren't even able to go shopping together. Twenty minutes later Elsa was relieved from her boredom when she heard Anna's voice from upstairs.

"Okay I'm ready."

Elsa fixed her eyes to the top of the stairs as Anna began to slowly make her way down, making sure not to stumble in her new heels. She was gorgeous. Drop dead gorgeous. Elsa immediately felt like her breath had been taken away as she gazed up at Anna's beautiful emerald green dress. It was short enough to show off a little leg but long enough that it was still appropriate for a school teacher to be wearing.

Anna had wanted something with a sweetheart neckline but felt that it showed off more than it should. Instead she opted for a higher cut neckline that was still very flattering but provided a little more coverage. Her hair was down in fiery curls that framed around her face and flowed midway down her back in a river of copper. The jewel tone color of her dress brought out a hint of green in Anna's eyes that contrasted nicely with her hair.

"Wow, Anna. You look amazing! And might I say very sexy for a school teacher." Elsa's plan to tone down her look had worked. Anna would shine like the brightest star in the room and that's exactly what Elsa wanted for her. She deserved a night to be doted upon and showered with praise.

"You look beautiful. Baby you're going to your first party. And you should know that you're going with the two best looking mommies on the whole planet." Anna knelt down and brought her face up to Elsa's belly, placing a hand on each side as she talked to the baby.

"This dress looks great. Is it comfortable?" Anna felt the fabric between her fingers.

"Amazingly, yes. It stretches in all the right places. I don't know how my feet will hold up but I figure we'll be sitting down most of the night anyways." Anna looked down at Elsa's black heels that were at least an inch lower than most of the other ones she owned.

"Shall we?" Elsa motioned towards the door as she pulled her keys out of her purse.

"Wait no, I thought I was driving?" Anna asked.

"It's your night, I'm driving. I'm only pregnant and it has not hindered by ability to drive in any way." Elsa looped her arm around Anna's and they headed out the door.

* * *

The banquet was being held at one of the well-known chain hotels downtown. The evening began with a cocktail hour in a room adjacent to the ballroom where dinner was being held. As they entered the room Anna could feel an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach as she surveyed the unexpectedly large number of people already there.

"Elsa I know I said I wouldn't have anything you couldn't have but I'm feeling a little nervous and could really use a glass of wine." Anna said as she eyed the rather large wine selection at the open bar.

"Yeah it's fine. Just as long as you go get it because I don't think it would go over well if your co-workers saw me order a glass of wine." Elsa stood stoically next to a tall cocktail table with her hands clasped together in front of her, understated by looking as regal as ever as she waited.

Anna returned a few minutes later with a glass of merlot for herself and seltzer water with lime for Elsa.

"Sorry it was the only non-alcoholic thing they had besides water." She placed a napkin on the table and set Elsa's drink down and promptly began sipping on her own. Anna could feel the warmth spread through her chest as her social lubricant came to the rescue.

"Okay. Now that I've got my drink we should go say hi to people." Elsa grabbed her drink in one hand and Anna's hand in the other as they made their way across the room, stopping midway when another redhead crossed their path.

"Merida!" Anna waved as she changed directions and headed towards the other fiery redheaded teacher at her school.

"Anna! You must be so excited. Congratulations." The two embraced as Anna handed her drink off to Elsa, the pungent aroma of alcohol making her stomach lurch.

Merida and Anna had known each other since the first day Anna began teaching at their school. She was one of those awesome people that came to Anna's rescue when she saw she needed some help on her first day, taking the fellow redhead under her wing and showing her the ropes.

"And Elsa, I heard you two were having a wee baby but haven't seen you in forever. You look positively radiant!" A hint of a Scottish accent brought a smile to Elsa's face as she placed Anna's drink back in her hand.

"Thank you. We're really excited. Did you tell her?" Whispering the last part in Anna's direction.

"Tell me what?" Merida pried, having heard Elsa perfectly well.

"Oh yeah. We just found out we're having a girl!" Anna squealed with joy as Merida gasped, bringing both of her hands to cover her mouth.

"A baby girl! That is so precious. Anna talks about nothing else at work. You should see her desk, it's like a mini shrine to her little angel." Merida's words made Elsa think about her own desk that only had one framed ultrasound photo on it, quickly brushing the thought aside and reminding herself that it wasn't a competition.

"Well I'd love to stay and chat but I know it's your big night and you've got a lot of people to talk to, so I'll catch up with you later." She waved as she disappeared back into the crowd.

Anna glanced around the room, taking stock of all the important people that were there, deciding which half of the room to dazzle with her charm first. She gulped down an extra-large swig of her wine and took a deep breath, feeling her confidence rise within her.

"You ready?" Elsa glanced at the crowd and back at Anna, a look of determination glimmered in her aquamarine eyes.

"I was born ready. Let's do this." Looking as smashing as ever with her gorgeous wife on her arm, Anna made her way around the room, soaking in the slew of compliments and admirations her colleagues poured onto her.

Each person they chatted with remarked how stunning Anna looked and how lucky her school was to have such a caring and vivacious teacher, adding how deserving she was of the evening's honors. Ever the supportive wife, Elsa let Anna take the floor and stayed in the background, only chiming in when asked about the pregnancy or how proud she was of Anna.

Soon everyone was gathered into the ballroom for dinner and the awards presentation. Anna picked at her salmon and pushed the risotto around her plate being much too excited to eat anything. She sat at the round table and stared at the podium mounted at the center of the stage and went over her speech in her head before looking down at Elsa's immaculately clean dinner plate. Famished, she had eaten every last bite and was anxiously awaiting dessert.

"Well look who joined the clean your plate club." Anna was witnessing a true first from the woman who had always been told she ate like a sparrow.

"Sorry, I was starving. I think she's going through a growth spurt or something because I've never been this hungry before." Elsa daintily dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin before placing it neatly back in her lap.

"No don't be sorry. You should eat like this more often, you're still _waif_ thin." Anna teased as she wiggled Elsa's thin arm in front of her, making her point.

The dinner course was cleared and Anna could see trays of dessert being brought out from the kitchen.

"What is that amazing smell?" Elsa's eyes searched the room trying located the source of the sweet aroma, inhaling through her nose in sync with Anna as the waiter set a plate of flourless chocolate cake with strawberries down in front of them.

"Chocolate!" They exclaimed in unison, both grabbing their fork and devouring the delicious cake before them.

Skipping dinner was one thing but Anna had never passed up a dessert and she wasn't about to start now. She slowly pulled the fork from her mouth, savoring the bittersweet flavor of the cake as she let out a rather loud "mmm". "Could this day could get any better?" Her eyes rolled back as the sweet divinity continued to make her mouth salivate.

Just as the dessert course was being cleared, Superintendent Weselton took to the podium to begin the awards presentation. Being a man of rather small stature, he not only required the mic to be moved to its lowest possible position but he also needed a footstool to stand on. The sight of which made Anna and Elsa giggle to each other, hands covering their mouths as they tried to hide their laughter.

"Ah hem. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the district's year end banquet. I hope everyone enjoyed their dinner as we will be beginning this evening's presentation." His elderly shrill voice piercing the ears of everyone in attendance as he began to present the various awards. Anna figured hers wasn't going to be until towards the end of the ceremony so she settled against her chair and tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

The ceremony was stretching into its second hour when Elsa began to notice tiny little kicks coming from the left side of her abdomen. A much needed distraction as they were not only bored out of their minds but Elsa could tell the Anna was getting more and more anxious about having to go up and give her speech.

Knowing exactly how Anna would react, she tapped Anna on the arm and whispered to her to be really quiet before placing her hand over the area where the baby was kicking. No doubt the noise Anna made would clearly have been a scream if she'd actually engaged her vocal cords, thankfully she didn't make a sound but Elsa had her hand ready to cover Anna's mouth just in case.

Her was face flushed and she wiggled in her seat as she tried to keep a hand on Elsa's belly and control the volume of her voice. Finally she was able to wind herself down enough to focus on the tiny kicks pushing against her hand. It couldn't have been a more perfect way to wash away Anna's nerves. Apparently the evening could get better. That was until Weselton's irritating voice announced they were ready to present the final award of the night.

"This year our teacher of the year award goes to one of our elementary teachers, she's actually the youngest recipient of this award, ever. Not only have her students' test scores consistently been the highest amongst the state but the number of requests to be in her class each year has been overwhelming. Without further ado, I'd like to present this award to Mrs. Anna Arendelle of Meadow Grove Elementary." He announced, twirling the ends of his mustache as he waited for Anna to make her way on stage.

"That's you. Go! Good luck!" Elsa whispered as she pushed Anna off her chair and towards the stage.

She'd been so caught up in feeling the baby kick that she didn't even hear Weselton announce her name. The path to the stage was blocked by several tables and Anna felt like a rat running in maze as she scrambled to find a clearing. Several kind people helped guide Anna to the stairs leading to the stage and she was able to make her up to Weselton.

Once Anna walked on stage and stepped into the pool of bright lights, Elsa swore Anna looked even better than she did on their wedding day, well almost. Her legs looked so long and lean in her peep toe heels and Elsa could feel her hormones stirring just by looking at her as she stepped up to the podium and adjusted the mic.

"This is amazing! I've never received anything like this. Um...I guess I should thank everyone at my school, all the teachers and our principle. And of course my students and their parents who make me feel like I never have to actually _work_ at my job, it's such a joy. I just want to dedicate this award to my mom, who was a teacher and inspired me to become one as well. And to my beautiful wife Elsa who's...well...she's my everything."

For a moment it was if there was no one else in the room but the two of them. Anna forgot she was on stage when she said those words to Elsa, eyes locked on each other in an exchange that communicated everything words couldn't express.

"Anyways, thank you very much for this award!" Weselton handed her the sleek crystal plaque as she took a moment to run her fingers over her name etched on the front, allowing herself to briefly rejoice in her accomplishment. She'd been the supportive wife in the audience watching Elsa get awards and accolades over the years, but this one was hers and her heart swelled with pride.

* * *

On the way home they were met with the ugly red lights of Saturday night traffic heading out of downtown. Anna was so exhausted from the excitement that she'd started to doze off in the passenger seat.

As traffic started to ease up a light rain began to fall and Elsa switched the windshield wipers on. Reflecting back on the night she couldn't help but think how perfect Anna's Cinderella moment had been. The rain beaded down the windshield of the car as Elsa turned the stereo on to help her stay alert. After changing stations a few times she settled on one that was playing _All of Me_ by John Legend. _Oh God this song._ It was one of those songs that felt like it was written just for her, in that exact moment. Every word made sense and tugged at her heart strings.

 _Cause all of me_

 _Loves all of you_

She glanced over at Anna who was slumped over to the side of the seat, still clutching her glossy plaque. The overhead street lights flashed over her as they sped down the freeway. She looked so innocent and beautiful, eyelashes fluttering as she dreamed.

 _Love your curves and all your edges_

 _All your perfect imperfections_

The last line couldn't help but make her think of the freckles that peppered Anna's skin. They were mostly on her cheeks and shoulder, but only Elsa knew the secret places to find them. They were always the ones she kissed whenever her lips roamed Anna's body.

 _Give your all to me_

 _I'll give my all to you_

 _You're my end and my beginning_

 _Even when I lose I'm winning_

As she got more and more lost in the song, it made her think of the other night when they made krumkake. It felt really good to share those parts of her past with Anna, even if they were bittersweet. Opening up about her past to Anna wasn't easy. It meant facing the dark and hidden parts of herself that she had once tried to forget were even there. She learned that night that hiding her pain only gave it power. Power over her, power over their marriage. It gave her father power. If she couldn't let go of the pain he'd caused, he'd still have control over her in a way.

Anna wasn't the only one who'd want to be let in. One day her baby girl was going to grow up and start asking questions, wanting to know more about her and where she came from. She couldn't deny a beautiful and innocent child the right to know all of her.

The rain continued to pour down as they pulled up to the house. Elsa parked inside the garage instead of in the driveway like she normally did so they didn't get soaked.

"Wake up sleepyhead. We're home." She caressed the side of Anna's arm trying not to startle her.

Bleary eyed and sleepy, Elsa helped Anna upstairs and onto the bed; setting her plaque on the nightstand beside her. Anna sat on the bed as she took out her earrings and placed them on her nightstand. Elsa was in the closet neatly putting her heels away while Anna simply kicked hers off and let them fall to the floor. Elsa had spent the entire evening staring at Anna in her sumptuous dress and was now leering at her with wanton eyes as she came to the side of the bed.

"I'm sorry but this dress has been teasing me all night." Elsa fervidly ran her hands over the silky satin material and could feel the warmth of Anna's body radiating from underneath.

"Well I can solve that problem and take it off." Anna reached back between her shoulder blades to unzip her dress when she was stopped by Elsa.

"No, No. Leave it on. I'm enjoying it." Seeing Anna in the dress was almost as fun as seeing Anna naked. There was something to be said about leaving things to the imagination. Elsa wanted the best of both worlds so she unzipped the dress, took off Anna's strapless bra, and pulled the dress down just enough to expose Anna's bare breasts.

The room was dim except for the light coming from their adjoining walk-in closet as it cast a glow over both of them. So much of their time together had focused on Elsa and her needs, but tonight she was completely devoted to Anna. Tonight had reminded her how much she loved her, quirks and all. She slipped Anna's arms out of the dress and let it bunch at her waist, cupping Anna's face in her hands as she gently kissed her. They weren't needy kisses, they were slow and loving.

Anna followed Elsa's lead and laid back on the bed as the blonde pulled Anna's arms up above her head, trailing her fingers lightly down her willowy arms. While Anna had to put a lot of effort into the position of their lovemaking, Elsa was much more confident and found it easy to maneuver herself to be close to Anna without being uncomfortable. She laid up against Anna's side and put a pillow behind her back to help give her extra support.

Her hand continued its descent down the side of Anna's body, resting at her breast as she gently grazed her thumb over her rosy nipple. She took her time to admire every curve and feature of Anna's skin, reminding herself that Anna was all hers, every inch.

"You looked so beautiful tonight." She whispered into Anna's ear before kissing along her jawline. Anna hummed a pleasurable sigh as she let her eyes flutter closed and focused on the sensation of Elsa's soft lips against her skin.

It felt good to be the one on the receiving end for once. She wasn't in a hurry to please Elsa or trying to remember what position would be best. It was all about her. Elsa was being so caring and gentle that Anna completely and hopelessly submitted to her. She knew this was more than just sex and hormones; it was about Elsa showing Anna how much she loved her, how much she appreciated and wanted to please her.

Elsa readjusted so that she was hovering over Anna, sitting back on her heels as she put her hand underneath Anna's back and pressed her body closer against her. She kissed from the tender crook of Anna's neck down into the valley between her breasts, taking in the sweet smell of her blushing pink skin and tasting her with a slip of her tongue as she kissed.

She pulled the dress down even further, enjoying the feeling of her fingertips tracing the lines on Anna's sculpted abdomen. Elsa could tell Anna was shuddering from the jilted rise and fall of her stomach as she breathed, a bit ticklish perhaps.

Anna tried to bury her hands in Elsa's hair but the tight bun didn't allow for it, instead opting to grab at the back of the blonde's dress. Her hand moved up Anna's inner thigh, pulling the dress up into a line as she made her way to the redhead's lace underwear and began to pull them down. She continued teasing Anna, dragging her hand up to her hip bone where she drew little circles with her thumb.

She then dipped her fingers into Anna's entrance, spreading her sweet wetness throughout her folds. Anna's breathing picked up as she anticipated Elsa's next move. With perfect timing, Elsa gave Anna a deep kiss as she slowly let one finger glide into her center. Her breathing hitched and Elsa smiled at the sight of Anna's heaving breasts. Another finger joined the first and Anna quickly pulled Elsa's dress down her shoulder, exposing her bra covered breast that Anna soon grabbed at with her free hand. Elsa heard the stitching in her dress tear a bit, but she didn't care. She leaned in and whispered into Anna's ear. "I love you, so much."

It was easy for others to think that Elsa was the rock of their relationship. Not only did some see her as the smarter and prettier of the two, but they assumed that Anna depended on Elsa. But that couldn't have been more untrue. Anna was Elsa's rock and she found her courage within her. Elsa was brave but only because she had Anna beside her, cheering her on and never giving up on her. Sometimes she felt like she could never make it up to Anna or make her feel the way she made Elsa feel. But Anna was feeling loved and special in this moment. All of Elsa's energy was on her, on pleasing her.

A high pitched sigh echoed off the ceiling as Elsa began to curl her fingers against Anna's most pleasurable spot, keeping her motions tantalizingly slow and wanting Anna to enjoy every moment. The breathy moans that filled the room as Elsa slightly increased her speed lit a fire within the blonde, making it harder for her to maintain the achingly slow pace.

Making a switch, Elsa removed her fingers from Anna and began to scoot down until she was up against the bottom part of the bed frame. Anna quickly sat up, worried Elsa might be letting herself get too caught up in the moment.

"Elsa don't do anything you don't wa-." Her words cut short when Elsa pressed her finger against Anna's lips.

"Shhh...don't worry about me. Lay back and enjoy."

Elsa reassumed her position and bunched Anna's dress around her waist even further, placing a pillow under Anna's hips to give her more lift. She gasped when she felt the blonde's cool tongue press against her throbbing center and kiss her inner lips, as if she were savoring a most treasured delicacy.

Elsa's mouth was magic and she always seemed to know what felt good without needing much direction. Which was perfect because the way she was swirling her tongue around and up to the peak of Anna's opening, the redhead wasn't able to form sentences or words for that matter anyways.

Elsa wrapped her arms around the back of Anna's thighs and flattened her tongue against the sensitive bud; lightly kissing and teasing it with soft rhythmic strokes as she claimed every inch of her wife's most intimate place. The arch in Anna's back rolled like a wave though her body as she undulated against Elsa's mouth, grasping the few strands of bangs that had freed themselves from the platinum bun.

Encouraging sounds of strained whimpers spurred her on as Elsa hummed in elation against the slick wetness; holding Anna tighter when her body jerked from pleasure as she felt two digits sink deep inside her once again.

A smile grew on Elsa's face when she heard what sounded like Anna trying to hold herself back from swearing for the sake of little ears. "Fu-, fu-uh…" Unsatisfied, Elsa reached up and squeezed Anna's breast in her hand, gently pinching the nipple and forcing an audacious "fuck" from Anna's lips. "Fuck, Elsa!" She mewled, feeling the blonde's cheeks rise as she smiled at the sound of Anna's unbridled expletive.

Every swirl of her tongue and every twist of her fingers brought Anna closer and closer to her release. Elsa eagerly watched as Anna let herself fall back against the mattress and slam her eyes shut; her body writhed as she began to tighten around Elsa's fingers. Those beautiful little moans gave way to a guttural groan as her orgasm quaked throughout her body. Growing red hot pulsations radiated throughout her body as she repeated Elsa's name over and over, as if worshiping a deity. Elsa continued to slowly work her fingers in and out as Anna rode out her high, finishing with one last lick and a few soft kiss to her swollen folds before curling up next to Anna.

"Good?" The blonde asked as she brushed Anna's hair away from her face. "So good. So very good. Thank you."

* * *

The next morning Anna awoke to what sounded like Elsa having a heated conversation in the office a few doors down. She had been looking forward to some morning cuddle time after such an amazing evening but instead grabbed her plaque off the nightstand and cuddled with it until Elsa was finished with her phone call.

"Dammit!" Elsa mumbled in frustration as she slumped against the office door, phone still in hand.

"What's wrong?" Anna yelled, trying to catch a glimpse of Elsa from the bed. Within seconds the blonde burst into the room in huff, her hair a wild mess from running her hands through it out of stress. Anna continued to stare perplexed as to what the hell was going on, and on a Sunday morning for that matter.

"Was that work?" Guessing by the tone of Elsa's voice it sounded like a business call. Elsa came to a halt at the edge of the bed, taking a minute to gather herself before explaining what had her all worked up.

"I have to go to Dubai next week." Her voice was seething with anger, trying her best not to direct it at Anna.

"Wait, what? Dubai?! That's like thousands of miles away!" Anna shot up straight in bed and bewilderedly looked at Elsa.

"It's for a week and I have to go. I tried to do everything I could do get out of it but I have to go now because I can't fly in a few more weeks." She set the phone down on the nightstand with a thud and scooted up next to Anna who was still reeling from the news.

"There isn't anyone else they can send?" The corners of Anna's mouth frowned at the thought of being alone for a whole week, not just without Elsa but the baby as well.

"No there's no one else. It's my design, I'm the lead architect and the only one who can give the site approval. Trust me I'm not happy it either."


	17. Chapter 17

It was the evening before Elsa's flight to Dubai and she was buzzing around the house methodically packing last minute items for the trip. Anna was lazily hunched over the counter in the kitchen flipping through Elsa's itinerary while munching on a bag of overly salted popcorn.

"So not only are you leaving me behind for an entire week but they're flying you first class, in your own private onboard suit? You're such a stinker." Anna dusted popcorn residue off her hands before turning to the next page.

"I think the client felt guilty about flying a pregnant woman all the way to the Middle East." She jested as she laid out her passport and other travel documents on the counter. Curious, Anna grabbed the burgundy passport that hardly ever saw the light of day any more and perused through it.

"Should I feel weird about my American wife still holding on to her Norwegian citizenship?" Clearly joking.

"I have dual citizenship and you know that. But once I renounce the Norwegian it's difficult to reinstate. Besides I was too lazy to apply for a new passport when we got married."

"Why does the lion on the front have an axe? That seems a little violent for Norway don't you think?" Remarking on the Norwegian coat of arms on the cover of Elsa's passport.

"I forget what the lion represents but the axe represents St. Olaf who's the patron saint of Norway. Something like that. Anyways, can I put in the travel bag please?" Extending a hand towards Anna.

"Here." Anna held out the passport before snapping it back just as Elsa was about to grab it.

"It'll cost you a kiss." She teased and fanned herself with the document.

"I _have_ to finish packing but I promise tonight...I'll give you more than just a kiss." She pressed herself up against Anna and moved to pry the passport from her hand.

"Then I require a preview, just a little something." Impatient as ever.

"Fine." Elsa guided Anna up against the stainless steel refrigerator, locking their lips in a tongue filled kiss before reaching down to caress between Anna's legs.

"Go finish packing now. Now, hurry!" Puffing a breath as she tried to repress the stirring arousal in her loins. Elsa giggled as she scampered away and smirked back at Anna. "I'm almost finished." Interesting choice of words Anna thought to herself.

Later, after they'd taken the opportunity to enjoy one last night of carnal pleasure, Anna was wrapped in Elsa's arms as they lay naked, bodies twisted together as she danced her fingertips along the freckles of Anna's arm. No words, just the brilliance of the moonlight on their bare skin as they basked in the afterglow of their near perfect consummation. Anna desperately tried to be present and take in everything, savoring the moment she knew would be gone come tomorrow.

* * *

The firm had planned to send a car to drive Elsa to the airport but Anna insisted on dropping her off instead. She was never very good at goodbyes and Elsa urged her to let the car take her and spare Anna the depressing ride home alone from the airport. True to form, Anna protested and Elsa ended up throwing in the towel to the feisty redhead and agreed to let her drop her off. The morning of her flight had finally come and Anna rolled Elsa's enormous black suitcase to the car.

"You're going for a week right? You're not moving there?" Anna grunted as she strained with all her might to lift the bag she swore had to be full of rocks into the trunk.

"Ha ha. Very funny." Elsa retorted as she sat herself down in the front seat and set her carryon bag on her lap.

As Anna approached the drop off area of the airport she spotted a young woman holding a sign that read "Arendelle" near the curb. She begrudgingly pulled over and began to help Elsa with her bags.

"Mrs. Arendelle. I'm Samira from Emirates Airlines, I'm here to escort you to our VIP lounge and assist you with your travels this morning."

Anna couldn't help but give the woman a look of contempt. Not because she'd done anything wrong but because this woman was about to escort her wife right out of her life, to a VIP lounge no less. She felt like a divorced parent about to hand off her child for a routine weekend visit with the other parent.

"Thank you. Can you give me a minute." Elsa replied as she turned back to Anna and intertwined their fingers together.

"Please take your time." The woman walked a short distance away and gave them some privacy.

"I guess this it. I'll call you as soon as I can. It's a fourteen hour flight so I might not be able to call until I get to the hotel."

A whole day of not being able to talk to Elsa. Anna felt like she was being forced to endure some kind of torture for no reason other than she had to share her wife with United Arab Emirates so that they could have their fantastic new waterfront towers. Elsa was her's dammit. And she didn't like sharing her pregnant wife, with anyone. Even if it paid the bills.

Anna looked at the exotic young woman waiting to take Elsa into the terminal and knew she had to let her go. That awful feeling of abandonment began to sink in and Anna began to tear up when she looked into Elsa's eyes. At first she tried to stop it, but that only made her cry harder. It broke Elsa's heart to hear Anna's frantic little gaps for air as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Anna, no. Please don't cry." She gently cupped her hands against Anna's bright red cheeks and wiped away her tears before kissing her dampened freckles. She didn't care how long that woman waited, she wasn't leaving Anna like this.

"Come here." She tucked Anna's head under her chin and held her tight against her chest. She knew Anna was telling herself how alone she was, how empty the house was going to be when she got home. So she whispered in her ear the only words she knew would bring comfort in that moment.

"You're _not_ alone. I'm just away for little while and I'll be right back. I'll call you every day and text you every chance I get. You are brave and strong and I love you with all my heart."

It didn't take away all the pain but it made Anna feel good enough to pull away and let Elsa go. But not before bending down to say goodbye to the baby, placing one last kiss against Elsa's swollen belly.

"I love you. Have a good flight." Anna sighed as their lips pressed together for a final time. She took a few steps back and watched Elsa pick up her carry-on and follow the woman into the terminal, her eyes locked on Elsa's blonde braid until the automatic doors shut behind her and she was gone.

* * *

Anna had already been back at home for more than two hours by the time Elsa made her way down the narrow jetway where she was greeted by a stylishly dressed flight attendant in a khaki waist coat, her red pillbox hat sat atop a gossamer white head scarf.

"Welcome aboard Mrs. Adrenedelle. I'll show you to your suite." She chirped as she lead Elsa down the aisle to her suite on the right side of the enormous plane.

The firm had said they booked her a suite but she had no idea that she was basically flying in a miniature luxury hotel room. Instantly her worries about being cramped like an uncomfortable sardine flew away as she started to think the flight might actually be quite enjoyable, refreshing even.

"The crew has alerted me that you're one of our expecting passengers. Congratulations. Please let me know if there is anything you need during your flight. We will not hesitate to go the extra mile to make this anything but a pleasurable experience for you." With that she nodded and made her way back up the aisle.

The opulent suite was lined in a light grey leather and trimmed with a rich amber mahogany that shined like the interior of a fine automobile. A small flat screen tv was nestled into the front wall that also functioned as a vanity area, complete with a gold accented table lamp and a round mirror surround by a string of pearl sized lights. She had not one but two windows all to herself with a fully stocked mini bar situated just below. All of which was nonalcoholic, much to Elsa's delight. Suddenly a fourteen hour hour flight didn't seem as dreadful as once thought. She could never go back to coach after this.

Elsa placed her bag in the foot space beneath the vanity area and settled herself into the plush leather seat, wedging a small pillow behind the small of her back. The seat was so comfortable her eyes lidded closed almost as an involuntary reaction, her body imploring her for some much needed rest.

When the city below faded into the distance and the okay was given to begin use of electronic devices, Elsa turned from the window and decided to cozy up with her tablet and get some much needed pleasure reading done. When she took her tablet out from her bag she noticed a card with purple flowers taped to the screen.

 _Go to your music app and open the "Baby" playlist. Then flip this over and read part two. -Anna_

Moved by Anna's surprise she smiled to herself before smelling the card, knowing it came from the redhead's desk and would have a trace of her scent still lingering on it. _Mmmm...Anna._

Interested to see what the redhead had up her sleeve she swiped the screen and opened the playlist and proceeded to read the second part of the message.

 _These are some of my favorite songs from when I was little. Your voice is too beautiful not to share with our daughter._

 _Please learn some of these, and translate the ones you like, because there will be a quiz when you get home._

 _I love you always,_

 _Anna_

Elsa sighed as she clutched the card against her aching chest. Anna never ceased to amaze with her surprises. Time had been flying by so quickly that she hadn't had a chance to learn any children's songs, even though she desperately wanted to start singing some to the baby.

She pulled out a pair of earphones from her bag and popped them in her ears while she glanced down at the playlist to select a song. None of them looked familiar so she decided to just go in order and listen to them all, starting with _Baby Mine._

Elsa didn't even make it through the first verse before she had to slide the door of her suite closed and privately cry the most beautiful tears of joy as she succumed to the suge of hormones and emotions; pressing one hand against her trembling lips and the other just under her belly where she could feel the baby making tiny whooshing movements with her feet.

There were too many emotions churning inside her to focus on any one in particular. Just the thought Anna had put into the playlist alone was overwhelming. It reminded her that they really _were_ in this together, despite any shortcomings Elsa might have felt she had about becoming a mom. She still couldn't bring herself to talk about it but she carried a huge amount of guilt for not having great mothering skills passed down to her like Anna did.

Elsa wanted nothing more than to be a loving and caring parent in the way her parents never really were to her. Being raised primarily by nannies and governesses didn't allow for much quality bonding time with her parents, unless it was to discuss business or to remind Elsa about the pressures of her preordained future. But Anna would see to it that Elsa's past didn't stop her from becoming an amazing mom.

After an emotional start to the flight she made a list of the songs she liked and began to translate a some into Norwegian, struggling to get the number of syllables to match the timing of the music. One song that seemed to translate quite easily happen to also be one she liked the most, _Blinke Blinke Stjernelill (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_ ).

Others were not as easy to translate or didn't work out at all. She fell in love with _"You are my Sunshine,"_ it so perfectly reminded her of Anna, but _"Du er mitt Solskinn_ " did not work out as she had hoped. What was a beautiful song in English was a mouthful of jumbled harsh sounding words in Norwegian.

Eventually she had a number of songs in one or both languages to work on, hoping to surprise Anna in return by singing some when she returned home.

The rest of the flight ended up being better than Elsa could have ever dreamed. Everything from the menu to the complementary pajamas and slippers was five star all the way. After devouring the most succulent poach halibut she'd ever had in her life, she reclined the seat into a fully flat bed and slipped on an eye mask. Everything was so astonishingly comfortable she couldn't get over the fact that she was on an airplane. She'd slept in hotels that weren't as comfortable as this seat. Comfortable enough that she was able to enjoy an uninterrupted seven hours of sleep, confirming her suspicion that the baby's was going through a growth spurt, followed by a rejuvenating shower at 30,000 feet in the air. She'd have to consider doing business in Dubai more often.

* * *

Anna was sound asleep when she heard her phone buzz on the nightstand. Part of her was trying to convince herself to ignore whoever it was and go back to sleep until she suddenly remembered that it was probably Elsa. At last her painstakingly long wait, not to mention a dreadful night's sleep alone, had come to an end.

 _Skype?_

Groggy and still half asleep she went into the other room to retrieve her laptop and quickly scurried back into bed to cuddle up for a much awaited chat with her beloved. Anna was in such a hurry to get the app open that it was actually making the computer run slower than if she had just taken her time.

 _Curse you stupid computer!_

Eventually she got it to open and clicked on Elsa's face in the icon and anxiously waited for her to answer the call as she huddled around the screen scrunched up in a tiny ball with her toes bouncing off the edge of her laptop.

"Good morning sunshine!" Elsa beamed from her hotel room. Anna wasn't exactly sure what had happened to Elsa on her flight or if it was just that she missed her but she looked, well...good. Really good.

"Elsa, you look different. It's a good different." Anna said as she reminded herself that Elsa could see her every facial expression and tried not to ogle her wife too much, if there was such a thing.

Something about Elsa _did_ look different. She looked incredibly fresh and well rested with her flaxen hair splayed over a white cotton robe with the hotel's name embroidered on the front pocket. The usual lines of stress that plagued her porcelain features were nowhere to be seen and her smile was bigger than ever as she flashed those perfect pearly white teeth of hers. Even her giggle sounded more bubbly.

"Thank you. I had a really good flight over that was very relaxing to say the least." She gleamed from a desk off to one side of the room, swiveling in her chair with those bewitching baby blues peeking out from behind an ethereal curtain of blonde hair.

"Your room looks...nice. I guess they really like beige over there." Anna brought her face closer to the screen to get a better look at the room.

"I know right? I was expecting this whole _Arabian Night's_ theme but the designer obviously had a love affair going on with every shade of beige imaginable. So not my taste. But the bathtub is amazing, and huge. Actually it's why I didn't call you sooner. Once I got in I couldn't get myself out." Her eyes hadn't moved away from Anna even once since they'd been talking and the redhead felt like those big blues were going to pull her right through the screen. Or so she wished.

Anna once again caught herself staring, this time with her mouth hung open like a codfish before shuffling back down under the covers and curling up around the screen. It was almost as if Elsa was in bed next to her, not nearly as good as the real thing but it would have to do for now.

"I miss you." Elsa said as she bit her bottom lip and sighed longingly. She wasn't making this easy for Anna who was about to reach out and touch the screen just to be closer to her. Elsa didn't care that Anna had a ridiculous case of bedhead or that she still had sleep crusted in the corners of her eyes. Just the sight of those adorable freckles that dusted Anna's cheeks made her go weak in the knees.

"Oh God Elsa, I miss you so much. I had the worst time sleeping last night. I can't sleep without you next to me." Her voice made Elsa's heartache.

Anna had spent most of the night tossing and turning with her eyes wide open into the early morning hours. She missed the feeling of her wandering feet meeting with Elsa's underneath the sheets and entangling their legs together as they drifted off to sleep. There was no warm body to spoon next to. No mass of platinum locks to bury her face in and savor Elsa's sweet scent.

Worst of all, no Elsa meant not baby to wrap her hands around in the middle of the night. Anna didn't know if Elsa knew or not, but night was a time when she felt that her and the baby could truly be alone. She'd wait until Elsa had drifted off to sleep before scrunching down to the swell of her abdomen and lovingly place a hand on each side. Hoping for kicks or any sort of movement but mostly just to feel that connection. She swore her hands felt entirely different once they were near her baby, like they tingled from some unexplainable electricity. She'd whisper in her lowest voice, trying not to wake Elsa, and tell baby how much she loved her and how excited she was to see her.

Some nights she'd address the baby almost as if she were writing in a diary, telling the baby about various things that happened to her that day or how she was feeling. It was strange how someone who was still in the womb could be such a good listener. For some reason talking to her baby was the easiest person to talk to. She'd share memories about her mom and always remind baby how lucky she felt to be her mom. It was their own personal and intimate bonding time. But now there was nothing but an empty and cold side of the bed and she dreaded the thought of six more nights of this.

"Well I'm about to go through the same thing. I have this giant bed and no one to share it with." She glanced over her shoulder at the lavishly turned down king bed.

"Look, they even left two chocolates out on the pillows to remind me that you're not here." Still staring back at the empty bed.

"I'm sorry. Did you just complain about having chocolate?" Anna mocked playfully.

"Yes because I'd rather have you." Her tone turning slightly more seductive as she leaned in towards the screen; the knot of the robe loosening enough to expose a hint of cleavage.

"You did _have_ me, remember? And then you got a plane and left the next morning." Folding her arms across her chest.

"Ugh, Anna. How am going to make it a whole week...alone?" She bemoaned.

"You and your hormones are on your own. Guess you'll be practicing the art of self love this week." Something about denying herself to Elsa made her feel just the tiniest bit better about being the one left behind.

"By the way, what are you wearing? Is that a full on long sleeved night gown? I didn't even know you owned anything like that."

"I was cold last night okay. I didn't have my personal Elsa heater to warm up next to." Suddenly aware of how frumpy the nightgown was.

"Well take it off. Now." Elsa snapped.

"Oh, so now we're demanding. It's nice to see you again hormones. I've missed you so. I'll take this off but we are not having Skype sex. I'm drawing the line. Beside I have to get ready for work soon." She said as she sat up with her legs crossed Indian style as she removed her nightgown and let it fall to the floor; exposing her peachy skin that made Elsa lick her bottom lip before biting it, hard.

"Are you touching the screen?" Anna said when she realized she couldn't see Elsa's hands.

"Yeah so. I miss you." Her fingers lightly tracing the outline of Anna's body on the screen, imagining them meeting the warm touch of Anna's soft skin instead of the cold flat screen. She would be lying if she said her hormones weren't going into overdrive again, but another part of her realized how absence made the heart grow fonder.

After being together for over six years it was only natural to become so used to being together that they'd forgotten what it was like to actually miss each other. Elsa thought back to when her and Anna first started dating and they couldn't bare to be apart. Their apartments became a mishmash of each other's belongings because they would inevitably talk the other one into staying the night. Anna would always have a huge exam in the morning or Elsa would have to get up early for work, but they couldn't bring themselves to part. One goodbye turned into several and before they knew it a night of passion had ensued and they'd wake up in a tangled mess of limbs the next morning.

Now they lived in their own home and were together whenever they weren't at work. They rarely went out with friends without the other one and tended to stick to hanging out with other couples.

Elsa couldn't help but think how this whole trip might end up being a blessing in disguise, for both of them. She could have some time alone with her thoughts and Anna could get out and do some socializing and get a break.

"I hate to ruin the moment but I have to jump in the shower and get ready for work."

"You in the shower. That's a nice thought to leave me with. Well just remember that I'm eleven hours ahead of you, so I'll probably only get to talk to you before and after you go to sleep." Elsa reminded.

"Wait before you go, take off your robe a little." Anna asked, eliciting a look of confusion from the blonde.

"I thought you said no online sex stuff."

"No, I want to talk to baby. Stand up and take it off enough so I can see your bump. Elsa did as she was told, her belly filling the screen on Anna's laptop.

"Hi baby! It's mommy! You're _other_ mommy. I miss you." Speaking in a drawn out high pitched mommy voice that seemed to come naturally to Anna.

"Somebody knows her mommy. She's kicking right here. Can you see it?" She pointed just to left of her belly button and rubbed the spot, trying to encourage another kick. It didn't take long before Anna could see what looked like a small flinching spasm where the baby was kicking. Anna gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Oh my gosh I can see it. That is crazy and weird, but great. She did that just when I started talking to her?"

"Mmhm. I think she misses you too." Elsa replied as she looked on with Anna as the tiny pulsating kicks continued.

The only thing that could make her wife's new figure even more perfect were the signs of life coming from within it. While Anna had been relishing the idea of Elsa missing _her_ for once, she was again saddened at the thought of being away from her baby for a whole week.

"Okay, well...I love you. Sleep well." Anna murmured.

"We love you too. Bye." She blew Anna a kiss before closing the video chat and started getting ready for bed.

Back at home Anna was still staring at the blackened screen. Her hand pressed against it as she closed her eyes and thought of her baby.

* * *

Anna loved her job but she loved it even more now that it spared her from the sullen loneliness she felt in their giant empty home. Everywhere she turned something reminded her of Elsa or the baby. But work was the ultimate distraction. She had a schedule to follow, lessons to teach, and children to give her undying attention to. She even had enough gusto to approached Merida in the staff lounge at lunch to see if she wanted to go out to happy hour on Friday night. To which the redhead agreed to without giving it a second thought.

Friday was still another day away and Anna was struck with the worst case of boredom and sulkiness, the worst combination. She aimlessly wandered around the desolate house, trying to find something to do. There weren't any papers to grade, no lesson plans to write. She was almost mad at herself for not having procrastinated on her work just so she'd have something to do.

After taking a quick shower she changed into her pajamas and slipped on her robe before heading downstairs to watch a movie, preferably something Elsa would _never_ agree to watching. She grabbed a pillow and curled up on the couch when she felt something poking her leg. Puzzled, she reached into the pocket and pulled out the picture Elsa's family. She'd completely forgotten that she'd put it in there the morning Elsa tried to put her krumkaka iron away and almost had a full blown panic attack.

There they were in their Sunday best. The mystery family. Alone, with absolutely no one to look over her shoulder, she pulled out her laptop and stared at the blank Google search bar on the screen; her fingers twitching above the keyboard as she debated with herself whether or not to finally get answers to her burning questions. She decided she'd just search a little, a _little_ wouldn't hurt anyone, justifying her curiosity with the notion that it was information Elsa should have shared with her years ago anyways. A small thrill of exhilaration shot through her body and she began to type those elusive words into the search box. _Agdar Arendelle._

* * *

Girls night out had started out well enough. Anna had borrowed one of Elsa dresses and heels and was looking rather hot when she hopped into Merida's car that evening. She was nice enough to volunteer as Anna's driver for the evening, knowing she hadn't had a night out sans Elsa in ages and was probably dying to live it up a little.

The two were chatting away in small booth in the back of a pub near the university area of town. The place was crawling with frat boys and students but Anna was so happy to get out she didn't care where Merida took her.

After her third whiskey and ginger, it was clear to Merida that Anna was not only making up for lost time but she was trying to drown out some feelings as well.

"Anna is everything okay? You seem like you're having a good time but I can tell something is wrong. Is it Elsa? You miss her?" Lightly swirling her drink in her hand before taking a sip. She was still the only woman Anna knew who drank whisky on the rocks.

"No. I mean yeah, I miss her it's just...there's been so much going on since she got pregnant. I've been going to this group to get help but there's just so much stuff coming up lately. Not just hormones but this thing with Elsa and her past and her dad...me not being pregnant. I could go on and on. And I did a _stupid_ , _stupid_ thing last night and looked up her dad on Google. Now I know a whole bunch of stuff about her family that I'm not even _supposed_ to know and of course I can't tell her." She confessed as her hands flailed about making intricate hand gestures.

"Like what? Anna you can talk to me. I'm here for you, you know that." Giving Anna a reassuring smile.

"Stuff I never knew before like the company she was was supposed to take over, it's a shipping company. Like a huge worldwide shipping company. Her family is _loaded_. I couldn't figure out why her birth certificate says Bergen when I thought she was from Oslo, it's because they have like four giant homes in Norway and Bergen is their summer home." She professed.

"You found out all that from just from searching his name?" Merida peered over the rim of her glass at a despondent Anna.

"Well, I may or may not have paid thirty bucks to get a history report on him...and my wife. Oh God that sounds _so_ bad." Quickly covering her face in humiliation. A part of her cringed at thought of what she'd done, thinking how it all could have been different if it had been Elsa who told her instead. She berated herself for not being patient, not trusting enough or giving Elsa the time she said she needed.

"No not entirely. I mean you've known Elsa for what, six years and she has never told you any of this? Don't you think as her wife you had the right to know?" Her bushy red brows lifting toward the heavens.

She thought about Merida's question, as best she could through her intoxicated haze. She'd never pushed the issue in the beginning. When they first met she respected Elsa's space and then life became a rollercoaster of a ride and Elsa's past took a backseat to death, marriage and all the other things life threw their way, until now.

She loved Elsa completely and wanted to be with her the rest of her life. Her past didn't matter. It wasn't until recently that Elsa's inability to open up had began to bother Anna. Her refusal to let her in had festered within her over the past few months. Yes Elsa was making small attempts but she was still keep much to herself. Anna knew it was painful for Elsa to talk about but at the same time she felt like she didn't seem to understand how painful it was for Anna to be kept in the dark.

"I don't know if I had the _right_ but she should have told me by now. It's a little embarrassing to be married to someone and not know much about their childhood, their parents or even hear them speak in their first language for crying out loud. Course there isn't anyone around here that speaks Norwegian, so I can't really hold that one against her but still." Unaware her voice was getting louder, not that it seemed to bother Merida.

Anna was on a roll. She'd opened up pandora's box and there was no stopping her from putting out every deep dark thought she'd been holding inside.

"And you saw her at the banquet. She looks gorgeous. She looks even _better_ pregnant. How unfair is that? Even when she's trying to not get attention people still come up and ask _her_ about the baby, instead of me."

"Anna you know that's not Elsa's fault. She really was trying to let you have your moment that night." Merida replied.

"No I know that. I'm not really mad at Elsa, I'm mad at whoever did this to me. I mean I tried for over six months to get pregnant. Six painful months of in vitro and Elsa gets pregnant the first time. This is what I get for being a good person and trying to always have a positive outlook on life. First my parents die then I find out I can't have children. If I didn't have Elsa and the baby I wouldn't have anything. " A hiccup of sadness was washed down with another sip of her astringent spirit.

"Just be thankful that Elsa _did_ get pregnant." She reminded. Anna never stopped to also realize that if it wasn't for Elsa, they wouldn't be having a baby at all. As disparaging as not being able to bare a baby herself was, it had to be incomparable to the travesty of not being able to start a family all.

"I am, I _really_ am. Everything's different than I imagined. Now I'm the one who won't get to share that special bond with the baby." Placing a hand on her chest, taken aback by the sudden pang of emotion.

"Why not? Just because you're not the one carry the baby doesn't mean you can't be close with her too." Merida added.

"Not the same way. _She's_ carrying her. They get to be together all the time and bond, she hears her voice more than mine. This goes beyond pregnancy. She'll be breastfeeding too, not me. I get stuck with a bottle at best." Anna had given her drink a rest and dejectedly slumped back against the booth with a thud.

"Anna you're hurting really bad. Why haven't you told Elsa this?"

"Because it's like you said. It's not her fault, I don't want her to feel guilty. But I can't talk to her about this and she won't talk to me about these things openly. It's just too much for me sometimes." Her elbows made the silverware rattle as she put her elbows on the table and dropped her head into her hands.

"You need to talk her. She needs to hear how you feel and then you can really start healing." Merida urged.

"Merida you sound like a therapist."

"Well maybe you need one." She half joked back.

"I'm _going_ to one. Well a group anyhow. Actually there's a couple's night coming up when she gets back. I was going to talk about this but I'm afraid it will upset her and the baby too much."

"But you have to do this for the baby too. She needs you two to get this stuff out in the open. And do it before she's born because trust me, you're going to be way too sleep deprived to handle any of this if you wait."

* * *

Anna had missed their planned Skype session the following morning and Elsa was starting to worry when she hadn't heard from Anna two hours later.

Bitterly disappointed that she hadn't gotten to talk to Anna in almost two days she decided to step away from the posh work party at her client's home in the Cyan Tower near Dubai's pristine waterfront and give her a call. It took three attempts before Anna answered her phone in a rather raspy voice.

"Is everything okay? I had to call three times to get you to answer and you missed our Skype call over two hours ago." She heatedly paced back and forth in a spare bedroom her client had offered to provided a little more privacy for her phone call.

"Yeah no, no, no. Everything's fine. I just stayed out a little too late with Merida last night that's all." Anna rubbed her bloodshot eyes as she felt her head begin to pound with a thunderous fury; blurred images from the previous night flashing through her mind.

"Why do you sound hungover?" Elsa asked, the stomping of her heels coming to a dead halt in front the of room's expansive floor to ceiling windows.

"I'm not I just stayed out late. What are you, my mother?" Immediately regretting her remark and realizing just how hungover she really was.

"No I'm not but I know when I'm being lied to. It's not a big deal. I don't care if you go out and have a good time, it's just normally not like you to drink so much that you get a hangover the next morning." It bothered her a little but not enough to make a big deal out of the fact that Anna could drink and she couldn't. It's not like Anna wouldn't trade places with her in a heartbeat and be the pregnant one if she could.

"I hear drinks clinking and laughter in the background, what exactly are _you_ doing?" God it was like she kept shooting herself in the foot. It was impossible to hold her tongue with a persistent drum banging in her head.

"I'm at a client's place for a work gathering. It's proper to entertain out of town visitors." Lowering the volume of her voice to a hushed whisper.

"Well have fun with your room full of rich eligible businessmen." Her words dripping with sarcasm and jealousy, adding insult to injury. She really was grouchy when she was hungover.

"Oh please Anna I'm a pregnant, married lesbian who's whiter than the snow. No one here would even be remotely interested." She scoffed.

"Look I won't be able to talk to you until tomorrow morning your time so could we please be civil? I _really_ do miss you." She looked out over the boats skimming about the marina as the city lights glimmered in the distance.

"I'm just going to chalk this up to you being mad at me for having to leave. If that's what it is then I'm sorry." She leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window and closed her eyes, trying to imagine Anna's face as she lay in their bed. Wishing she were next to her instead of at a dull party with a bunch of strangers making small talk.

"I do miss you and no, the past four days have not been easy. I'm sorry for being grumpy. I just hate waking up and not having you next to me. Let's try again tomorrow and we'll Skype okay?"

"You don't have to apologize. I have the day off tomorrow and I'm going sightseeing so let's make it a little later than normal. I love you."

"Love you too. Have fun at your party."

"I won't but I'll try. Bye." She waited for Anna to hang up first and when she did there was nothing left but an empty feeling. She looked out at the skyline of the city, the neon lights from the towering buildings reflected off the water in the black of the night.

Here she was with a city renowned for its innovative architecture right in front of her eyes and she couldn't feel once shred of happiness.

She still had to make it through the party and put on a show for her clients, appearing as the ever calm and collected professional they expected her to be.

But tomorrow would be a new day. She didn't have to work and had made plans with the concierge to take in the cultural side of Dubai. A smile began to creep out from the corner of her mouth as she wistfully thought of an entire day filled with markets and mosques. Hopefully it would take her mind off things long enough to relax and enjoy some time exploring on her own; away from her problems, away from work. Away from every care in the world.


	18. Chapter 18

After spending most of the day trying to recover from her lapse in judgement the previous evening, her morning filled with gatorade and tylenol in an attempt to drown out the dehydration and nausea, Anna decided to do something productive with herself and began to glance over some of the design boards Elsa had put together for the nursery in her office. They were still in the early stages but Elsa had definitely honed in on a style that seemed to incorporate their individual tastes rather nicely. Elsa had left the paint color up to Anna which would give her the most amount of influence over the theme of the nursery.

She shuffled through the various swatches and clippings pinned to the board, noticing that Elsa seemed to want off-white furniture with pink decor to accent the room. Anna had wanted whatever name they ended up choosing in block letters hung above the crib but Elsa had picked out a photo of a monogram decal with a single letter in an elaborate script font instead.

Despite their differences in taste, Anna had never minded going along with what Elsa wanted. Her style was unparalleled and sophisticated with her ever present love of symmetrical curves and patterns combined with majestic shades of glacier hues and rich purple undertones. She'd let Elsa decorate most of their house on her own and they always got compliments on how warm yet modern the place looked. Almost like Elsa herself, beautiful yet approachable with regal lines and a flare for the dramatic.

She scanned the office, so organized and tidy, and came upon a stack of various baby related catalogs neatly stacked on top of one of the shelves of a bookcase.

As she passively flipped through a Pottery Barn Kids catalog, chewing the end of one of her copper braids in her mouth, she could see that Elsa had circled certain items and put adorably little hearts by others that Anna figured meant Elsa must _really_ liked.

Anna had been so wrapped up in thinking about what she'd been missing out on by _not_ being pregnant that she didn't realize that Elsa was probably discovering unexpected joys of her own she probably felt too guilty to share.

She looked through the other shelves lining the office; parenting books, clothing catalogs, birthing books, breastfeeding books. Every shelf had something dedicated to mommyhood on it.

Then it dawned on Anna, she'd been helping Elsa with the pregnancy, they'd shared their excitement about becoming parents, but Anna hadn't really taken the time to think or even talk about what it was like for Elsa to be pregnant, _emotionally_. What it must be like for her to have grown up in a world where she didn't have a childhood, didn't have contact with her parents, and was now bringing life into the world and creating a family of her own. Anna was now looking forward to the couples night at group more than ever. They'd been holding so much back from each other and it was time get it out in the open. Just another few days and she could start unloading some of the weight off her shoulders.

The redhead swallowed thickly, arms crossed over her chest as she stood in the center of Elsa's office, alone with her thoughts as her eyes crossed to the history reports she'd printed out on Elsa and her father sitting on the blonde's desk.

She didn't really learn anything new from Elsa's. She didn't have any debt besides their home and her car. Her credit score was so high it almost required it's own category above "excellent." She _was_ born at her family's summer home in Bergen but raised in Oslo in a home that, from what Anna saw on Google Earth, was almost as big as the block she grew up on in the suburbs. No history of elementary or high school attendance, probably because of the at home tutoring. No tickets, no infractions of the law, and no previous marriages. She was such a perfect girl on paper.

Agdar's history report wasn't anything outside the norm but it was what Anna had found through further searches that was tearing her up inside. She didn't know how she was going to tell Elsa. She couldn't even imagine how she'd start the conversation. But she knew she didn't have a choice, she was going to have to tell her eventually, and she was dreading it.

* * *

On the other side of the world the sun was just beginning to rise over Elsa's hotel along the Dubai marina, flooding the room with warm rays of the blistering desert sun. It was a little odd that the micro suite on the flight over was somewhat nicer than her actual hotel room, but it was still very comfortable and plush none the less.

One of the best features was the incredible view it provided of the sparkling marina, in particular the view of the flattened plot of land where Elsa's conception would one day rise into the Arabian skyline, provided she could seal the deal with her client the next morning.

But work was for another day as she had planned out an extensive itinerary to immerse herself in the old world charm of Dubai's gold souk market and the Jumeirah mosque. There was so much to do and see but her body just wouldn't allow her to do everything her heart desired. She could barely keep up with Anna on their daily walks around the neighborhood and was being rather ambitious her plans to see the city.

Awoken by the soft light filtering through the sheer white curtains, Elsa started her day with what was now her routine morning trip to the bathroom. Now that she could feel the baby moving better she noticed just how rowdy the baby got once the sun came up, kicking her bladder until she finally gave in and went to the restroom. Apparently someone liked their space in there. Lately she felt like she didn't even need an alarm clock any more since the baby seemed to wake up about a half hour before she needed to get up anyways.

Plunking herself down on the pillowy soft bed she reached for the remote and turned the TV on to get a check of the weather. Much to her dismay it was going to near 100 for the daily high, which made it all the more difficult to figure out what to wear; keeping in mind that she had to have her arms and legs covered in order to enter the mosque.

With the extra heat from the pregnancy and being smack in the middle of a desert she didn't know how she was going to tolerate the sweltering heat but considered it a small sacrifice for the once in a lifetime opportunity to see the city.

After packing a small cross shoulder travel bag filled with water, a snack, and a light change of clothing for the mosque, she headed downstairs in her athletic Mary Janes to the quick service restaurant for a much needed breakfast.

She'd never been big on an early breakfast but with the baby growing at a faster rate she was down right _starving_ by six in the morning. Lucky for her the restaurant was open twenty-four hours and she was able to nosh on an omelette and a bowl of fruit before heading out to the marina to catch a water taxi.

The first stop on Elsa's adventure was the gold souk located on the Dubai creek. The concierge told her it was the place to go if she wanted to experience an authentic Arabian street market. While she'd only stopped by to inquire about specific sights to see, the gentleman at the concierge made sure Elsa knew what to expect before she ventured out.

Firstly, she was assured that Dubai was virtually a crime free city and that she didn't need to worry about being mugged or preyed upon, being a lone blonde in a city of mostly men. He also made it clear that she'd have to be prepared to fend off the sometimes aggressive salesmen at the souks and know that bargaining prices was normal practice but that she could simply walk away anytime she felt uncomfortable.

With this in mind she put on her thick skin before walking out to the sun drenched docks of the marina to catch the water taxi to the gold souk.

When the taxi arrived at the dock she was a little disheartened to see that it too, like most of Dubai, was sleek and futuristic. Upon boarding she also noticed that every seat had a TV screen in the back of the headrest, which was odd because it was only a ten minute boat ride to the souk. She'd had her heart set on something a little less extravagant and something more traditional.

The ride up the coast and into the creek was simply breathtaking. The skyline was illuminated by the amber rays of morning sun as other smaller taxis went whizzing by on the waterway. The only downside being the choppiness of the water, causing her to flashback to the nausea of early pregnancy.

The boat was mostly empty being it was so early in the morning and Elsa found it almost strange to be on her own adventure without Anna. She wondered what she was doing at home, probably sleeping or doing the very same thing and thinking about what she was doing in that moment.

Life without Anna was just plain boring. She couldn't help but think if Anna had been there she'd have been up front talking to the driver and trying to make friends with everyone on board whilst taking a million pictures and getting Elsa do silly poses for each shot. If Anna couldn't be there she could at least tell her she was thinking about her. She pulled out her phone to text Anna, not it like would wake her up the way she slept like the dead.

 _Thinking of you. Wish you were here. Xoxo_

The boat arrived at the creek and she made her way down the narrow streets to an old wooden overhang that read "Dubai City of Gold" in English and Arabic, marking the entrance to the souk. Window after window was filled with glittering displays of rich gold jewelry, as if King Midas himself had touched every square inch of the market.

And the concierge hadn't been joking when they said the salesmen were aggressive. Elsa had only been at the souk for not more than five minutes and she'd been approached by several shopkeepers trying to lure her into their store.

"Come my friend. What is it you're looking for?" This was the standard line they all bellowed before trying to link arms with her and persuade her to peruse their dazzling selection of merchandise. Elsa had a flashback to her first week of college when she practically had to fend the men off with a stick, silly frat boys not knowing how _truly_ uninterested she was.

She made her way down the long corridor of open shops, politely but firmly rebuffing each salesman that came her way and removing their arm from her own without breaking her stride.

She passed a shop with a younger man out front who didn't try to approach her and simply smiled and said good morning. Seizing the opportunity to actually see the inside a store without being bombarded, she stepped into the store that was aglow from the amount of gold dripping from the endless number of display racks, seeming like she'd passed through the pearly gates of heaven themselves.

"If you need anything or want to look at anything just let me know." The man smiled and took up a spot near the back of the shop.

"You're expecting?" He asked.

"I am. In August." Glancing down at the loose fitting blouse she'd worn in an attempt to hide her bump. So much for that grand plan.

"You and your husband must be very excited." He smiled again and nodded.

" _Wife_ actually. My wife and I." Her eyes were too busy panning across the rows of twenty-four carat gold cuffs encrusted with perfectly smooth gems to be offended. And it's not like it was first time she had to correct someone that her spouse was a woman.

"If you _are_ interested, I do have some rings and necklaces if you're looking for something for her, to bring back perhaps." A firm suggestion.

"I'm on to you. But I do have to bring her something and I have yet to find anything. I'd love to see what you have." She smirked at the man and followed him over to a blindingly bright selection of gold rings. She may have looked like just another pretty blonde but little did any of the salesmen know she's been trained her entire life to do business with powerful men. This guy was nothing.

"Do you know her size?"

"A four I believe."

"These are the fours here. I'll give you some time to look. I know how Americans like their privacy when shopping."

 _Wow, he really is a good salesman._

There were hundreds of rings, most of which were too gody for anything Anna would ever wear. But at the top of the display case was a small gold band with three round diamonds across the setting. She thought about it, there were three stones and there were about to be three of them.

"Tell me about this one." Admiring the ring between her fingers as she turned back to the salesman.

"This one here is 24 carat gold with three half carat diamonds, all of which are internally flawless." He placed the ring on her own finger and held it up to the light, making it sparkle like a star in the night sky.

"Internally flawless. That's Anna alright. How much?" Bracing herself for the bargaining part of this endeavor.

"Normally three thousand American, but for you I could do two." He offered.

 _Two. Sure._ It was on.

"I'll take out my wallet right now for 1500." Unabashed, her eyes narrowed but she flashed a coy smile to sweeten the deal. She would have paid two but now she was on the hunt for a deal.

"I can't go lower than 1800." He countered.

"Hmmm. You know, this is only the first store I've been in. I should look around before I make such a hasty decision." With that she placed the ring back in its slip and proceed to head out the door.

"You're _very_ good miss. $1600."

"I'm halfway out the door now. _Thirteen_ hundred and I'll come back inside." Her grin spreading wider across her face. She was loving this. The salesman was quiet as he thought about her offer, hands clasped behind his back.

"Alright well, I'll be on my way." She was better at this than she thought, and it was kind of fun.

"$1400. Final offer."

"You have yourself a deal." She beamed proudly.

After picking up a few more items for Anna and a flowing white head scarf to wear to the mosque, she ventured back to docks to catch one of the more traditional looking water taxis to the other side of the creek.

The motor was loud and noisy but she loved every minute of the old wooden abra boat, even if there were no barriers and absolutely nothing but the wind to prevent one from toppling into the creek.

Once on the other side she joined the taxi line and waited while she checked her map for the mosque's location. She hadn't been out of the hotel much outside of today and was not aware that taxis in Dubai were apparently Ferraris. Each one was mustard yellow with the classic checkerboard print on the side of the roaring vehicle, complete with the classic prancing horse logo on the hood. Luxury knew no bounds in Dubai. She couldn't help but laugh as the driver opened the scissoring door of the car, tilting it vertically upward in much the same way Elsa's head was cocking in amusement.

The roar of the engine as they took off towards the mosque made the baby squirm with fright, only to be calmed by Elsa's soothing hands rubbing sweeping circles round and round. She's opted to sit in the backseat so that she could slip on a pair of leggings under her skirt and throw a long sleeve shirt on over her blouse, finishing the look with the newly purchased headscarf with a bit of blonde bangs peeking out from the side of her face.

Running a bit behind schedule she sprinted to the join the one and only daily tour that was gathered at the front of the mosque. Once in line she took a moment to soak in the intricate detailing of the mosque. Islamic architecture was something she hadn't got to learn a great deal about in school so she was thrilled to gain insight into and experience something she knew for a fact Anna would have never have wanted to see if she'd been with her. She would probably have been more into the Dubai Mall or one of the many water parks. She'd have loved the Ferrari taxi though.

The tour began by pointing out the tall minaret towers that surrounded the large dome on top of the pristinely white building. Elsa was in heaven, she loved learning and she loved learning about architecture even more.

The inside of the mosque was lined with pointed archways decorated with Arabic calligraphy, exactly what Elsa had hoped to see on her trip instead of the opulent commercial driven side of Dubai. The walls and ceiling were covered in rich ornamental patterns so common in Islamic architecture, the guide pointing out that the patterns represented infinite possibility. Being a fan of patterns herself she loved how she could find a connection to a culture so distant from her own.

By the end of the tour she felt like her creative soul had been nourished but her body hadn't. Calling it an early day she headed back to the hotel for a late lunch and waited until she could call Anna again, hoping she'd recovered from her hangover and would be in a much better place to talk.

* * *

The following morning Anna was glued to her screen as Elsa showed off her newly acquired work attire for the day, stepping back from the desk to reveal an exquisite black pencil skirt and blazer.

"Holy God. That is the yummiest suit I've ever seen. How did you ever find that in the maternity section?" Anna asked as her eyes surveyed the form fitting lines of the the garment.

"I didn't, it's tailored Armani. I just had them put a belly band in it. You have to dress to impress here." She gleamed as she twirled on the balls of her feet, braid finding its home over her left shoulder as it swung around.

"Well I'm impressed. It's so weird that you're off to work and I'm getting ready for bed." Anna said as she set her laptop down on Elsa's side and crawled into bed.

"I know. I'm going to have the worst jet lag when I get back. I bought you a bunch of goodies yesterday but you have to wait until I get back to see what they are. Thank God they're giving me next week off." She rolled her eyes and crossed a leg in front of her, slipping a heel on over her slightly swollen feet.

"So what is it exactly that you're doing today? I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I have no idea what it is you're dressed up for."

"Today is the final signing off on the design plans. They have to sign and initial every blueprints and contract so it takes a while but when it's done the deal will be complete and a date can be set for construction to commence. More importantly, I can come home." Sounding relieved as she finished gliding on the other heel.

"I can't wait." Exhausted from the weekend Anna's head rested heavily against her pillow and she fought to keep her eyes from closing. A yawn escaped as she watched Elsa stride back to the chair as if she were walking a runway in Milan.

"Elsa can I ask you something?" She asked cautiously.

"Anything."

"When you get back, can we start working on us more?"

"I thought we were working on... _us_?" Furrowing her in brows as she crossed her legs under the desk.

"Yeah but I mean more. We have less than four months and I think we should get to a better place before baby comes. Don't you?"

"Anna I'm not going be able to thoroughly divulge and process my past in four months. I told you I need time. It may take years." Her eyes shifted away from Anna and over to her hands as she watched them smooth her skirt out over the top of her thigh. This was not exactly where she'd expected nor wanted the conversation to go. If anything she felt it was ill timed at best.

"That's not the only thing I'm talking about. I know there's things you're not telling me because there's things I haven't exactly been upfront about with you as well. There's a couple's night at group when you get back and I just want to make the most of it is all."

"When I get back we'll talk about this. I promise. But I have to go to work soon and with the way my hormones are I can't talk about this right now. I have a job to do and this meeting is really important." She remarked with a coldness that made Anna flitch away from the screen. It was a wonder how Elsa could go from bubbly to icy so quickly. Anna assumed it must have had to do the amount of pressure she was under or something.

"Sorry it's just I'm about to go to sleep and this is when we usually talk. And you're all in your business mode so it's no use trying to broach the subject anyways. I'll just talk to you tomorrow...I guess that's tonight for you." Too tired to try and figure out the time difference.

"We'll talk I promise. Sweet dreams. I love you." She closed the laptop and her eyes met her reflection in the mirror behind the desk. She looked at herself, dressed in her expensive slick black suit with that serious stone like expression she wore when she was about to make a major deal go down. She hated that look sometimes. She looked just like her father when she made that face. She'd practically just dismissed Anna the same way her father had done to her so many times, the thought of which made her sick to her stomach. But Anna just kept relentlessly pushing her for more. Everytime Elsa felt like she was opening up it never ended up satiating her need for more. She'd opened her boxes and make krumkaka. She'd translated the songs into Norwegian. But it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

She pressed her slender fingers against each of her temples, squeezing her eyes shut as she pushed her thoughts to the furthest part of her mind. She _did_ have a job to do today. A job that required to her to be on top of her game. This client was a huge deal not only to the firm but to her as well. The excitement of the baby had clouded over what could be the greatest achievement in Elsa's career. Once the clients agreed to her designs, her vision would forever be a part of the Dubiain skyline. She'd dreamed of having something of this magnitude since she was a little girl and wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away.

* * *

When the meeting was over Elsa collected her things and quickly made her way inside the elevator and hurried down to the lobby, dashing into the nearest restroom before anyone could see her. Once inside she walked to the very last stall, swinging the door closed behind her and locking it as her emotions began to get the best of her. Her client's words still reverberating in her mind about how gifted she was, how striking her designs were, and how they'd never marveled at such grandeur of heavenly proportions before.

She'd single handedly sold the most elaborate, expensive, and prestigious design in the history of her firm. Her own personal triumph cut short by the scathing voice of her father echoing in her head; all those times he'd told her that her talent was a waste, that she was a waste, a worthless dreamer.

She reminded herself that he was wrong, clearly as everyone else around her was continually awestruck by her ability to create gravity defying works of art. No matter how successful she ever was, it never erased his words from her memory. She never stopped wondering why her own family couldn't see what everyone else saw. Any father would have been proud of one tenth of the things she'd accomplished in life, except for her own. Why couldn't he see? She always asked herself. Why couldn't he see she was a gem to behold and treasure like everyone else did?

Her back pressed firmly up against the wall of the stall as tears streamed down her face, hands wrapped around her chest in a self comforting embrace, caressing the sides of her arms as her head hung low. The strap of her blue print holder slid off her shoulder and landed on the ground with dull thud.

She wanted to call Anna but it was the middle of the night back home. Not that Anna would have minded but she wouldn't have understood what was upsetting Elsa anyway. Anna had never known exactly what went on between Elsa and her father so she couldn't help.

The only thing that saved Elsa from drowning in a sea of her own emotions was the frantic fluttering of the baby. Her adrenaline and surge of emotions had not gone unnoticed by the baby who was now jerking and kicking up a storm.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's ok."

She unbuttoned her blazer and ran her hands over the curves of her stomach, trying to comfort the baby and herself for that matter. Her fingers gently circled over the spot of the last kick and a thrusting foot pushed against her, causing her mouth to drop in awe. Wherever her hands went, baby followed with tiny movements and kicks. A sob broke into a laugh and a smile replaced the grimacing frown on her flushed face.

"Are you following me?

Jeg føler deg

(I feel you)."

An arch of pitter patters danced across the lower backside of her belly button in response to her melodic voice.

She had just gotten used to the thrill of feeling the baby moving but _this_...this was sheer bliss. They were communicating, through kicks but still, there was a profound connection.

Just between them.

They were one.

Her tears had dried and her father's voice had been silenced, replaced by a conversation between mother and child.

"I love you.

Jeg elsker deg så mye

(I love you so much)."

She whispered, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back against the wall, hand still pressed against her belly. The baby's movements became more fluid and smooth as Elsa slowly exhaled a few deep breaths.

"Let's go get something to eat. That ought to make us both feel better."

* * *

The flight home was one Elsa wished to go by quickly. Although she was again met with the decadent luxury of first class, it was no match for her own bed with Anna by her side.

The trip had taken a lot out of her; mentally, emotionally, and physically. She basically slept the entire flight except to eat and use the restroom. The round ligaments on both sides of her uterus were aching from the babys rapid growth. It was all she could do to just lay there and let her body be taken over by the pregnancy, feeling like a human incubator with no energy to do anything other than nurture the baby.

And in a grand moment of embarrassment, Elsa had been sleeping so deeply that she had to be awoken by two flight attendants to prepare for landing. It wasn't even until she got to customs that she realized she completely missed filling out her customs card during the flight, having slept through that as well.

Feeling disheveled and badly in need of a shower and fresh clothes, she made her way to baggage claim where Anna was sitting on the ledge of a baggage carousel.

"Elsa!" Anna ran over to Elsa, jumping over bags and luggage carts like she was an olympic hurdler going for gold, except for when she tripped over one particular bag but quickly recovered and apologized before resuming her sprint towards the blonde.

Elsa was so exhausted she dropped her carry on bag and waited for Anna to come to her, waiting for that much anticipated embrace she'd been longing for since she left.

"Oh God, Elsa! I missed you so much." She flung her arms around Elsa and squeezed her so tight her torso was pressed up against Elsa's protruding belly. She hadn't even muttered a word when all the sudden she let out a wail and began to cry into Anna's shoulder, soaking the sleeve of the redhead's shirt.

"What's wrong? I've never seen you cry like this." Her hand stroked the back of Elsa's mussed braid as she continued to sob uncontrollably.

"I-I'm s-so tired."

"And hormones?" Anna added.

"That too." She sniffled and tried to reground herself but lost all control to her hormones and kept on crying.

"Come on preggers. Let's get you home."

* * *

After being released from the shackles of her hormones, the crying spell had ceased somewhere between the off ramp and their driveway.

Once inside Anna rolled Elsa's suitcase to the bottom of the stairs and was suddenly entranced by Elsa's display of stretching going on in the living room.

"Elsa your...your…" Waving a hand circularly over her chest.

"My boobs?" Looking down at her voluptuous developments.

"Yeah they're uh…" Words escaping Anna, which was rare.

"Huge! I know. Everything is getting _bigger._ My bra feels like a tourniquet." Running a finger under the bra's lining that had been digging into her pale flesh.

"Did you bring me something back?" Anna coyly strolled up along Elsa's side, walking her fingers up the the blonde's firmly toned arm.

"Of course I did but it's buried in my bag somewhere. Can we do souvenirs tomorrow? I'm exhausted and I all I want to do in crawl in bed and hold each other." Elsa was halfway to the staircase pulling Anna behind her, wanting nothing more than to strip out of the clothes she'd been wearing for the past twenty-four hours and get into her own comfy bed with her wife.

"As romantic as that sounds, I actually have a surprise for _you_. But you have to close your eyes." Anna said with a hand on her hip and an adamant finger pointed at Elsa.

"If I close my eyes I may fall asleep." She whined like a cranky child in need of a nap.

"Ok then just walk upstairs and I'll cover your eyes from there." Guiding Elsa towards the stairs.

Elsa drugged herself up, holding onto the banister for dear life as she feared she may fall asleep before making it to the top. The redhead steadfast and fervent was right behind her. When Elsa reached the top of the stairs Anna placed her hands over Elsa's eyes and lead her down the hall and into the threshold of the nursery.

"Just a few more steps...there. Open your eyes." She gently pulled her hands away and Elsa blinked a few times before her eyes widened in surprise.

"Y-you painted it. Oh Anna...it's beautiful." Elsa's hands flew to her chest as she gasped in awe. The once boringly plain room had been painted a befitting shade of pale green that gave the room a warmth and freshness that Anna had always wanted in her room when she was younger. A pale pink floor rug with a matching green and pink border was sprawled out in the center of the room, it had taken Anna forever to find a store that carried it as it was from Elsa's design board.

"I thought it would be a good time to have it done while you were gone so we didn't have to worry about fumes. You like the color?" Anna walked into the room and spun about like Maria in the _Sound of Music_ as she basked in the glow of her work while Elsa stood in the doorway, overcome with the emotions of seeing their baby's room spring to life. She'd never taken on such a project before, it was usually Elsa who oversaw such things and she was blown away by Anna's work.

"I love it. It reminds me of you...and I _love_ that. Oh my God and this chair! How did you know I wanted this one?"

The final touch was a cream colored nursery glider and ottoman tucked back into the corner of the room, also picked out by Elsa but thoroughly tested by Anna who rocked and bounced in it at the store before declaring it was a worthy purchase.

"From your design boards. I had it delivered this morning and I tried it out myself and accidently took a forty-five minute nap. Needless to say it's pretty damn comfortable. And you said baby was keeping you up at night and I thought you could rock her or you both back to sleep. She could get used to it now for when we rock her later, you know after she's born. It's just a start, we'll add more later obviously. Do you like it?" Anna cradled her hands together, smoothing an upturned one over the other as she watched Elsa sit down and plop her tired feet down on the ottoman.

"Like it? I love it. And I love you."

Anna came over and sat down on the ottoman facing Elsa who was half way to dreamland as she rocked back and forth, eyes growing heavier with each sway. Anna looked on admiringly and smiled at Elsa's blissful state.

The blonde scootched over to the side of the chair and made room for Anna as she patted the seat cushion, cueing the redhead to curl up next to her. The two melded together like two perfectly matched puzzle pieces and nuzzled their foreheads together, enjoying the simple sound of each other's breathing.

"It was a long week but coming home to you feels _so_ good. This makes me so happy, you have no idea. And I don't think I have anything in my bag that can replicate this feeling." She lovingly stroked Anna's pink cheek and placed a kiss on her soft cupid bow lips.

"Well don't forget you're the one that's going to have to birth the baby so I'm sure that will more than make up for painting the room." Eliciting a groan from the blonde.

"Don't remind me. I'm already starting to get nervous about labor. While I could stay here all night, and I do so love this chair, but can we please go to bed?" Pleading with the bundle of energy that was her wife.

"Of course. And now that I have my personal Elsa heater back, I shan't be needing any pajamas tonight. That's right... _naked_." Giving the blonde a sultry wink and a cluck of her tongue as she skipped off to the bedroom.

"And I thought I was the insatiable one."

* * *

Cradled in a cocoon of sheets, Anna spooned on the outside of Elsa who was curled up into her pregnancy pillow. Not yet asleep but not quite awake, Elsa could feel Anna's warm fingers brush against the column of her neck as she swept her platinum tresses off to the side. Clearing the way for tender lips to graze up and down the milky white skin. Her tactile memory firing to life as she savored the sweetness of Elsa's soft skin beneath her moisten lips. The arduous wait had come to an end and Anna was eager to quench a thirst that had been building since Elsa departed. A wandering hand found its way over the dip of Elsa's ribcage and under her ample breasts, the blonde flinching in response.

"What?" A buck naked Anna whispered into the dark.

"Tickles. And I'm _really_ tired. I promise you, whatever it is you have in mind can wait until tomorrow." Giggling as he brought Anna's hand up between her own, resting near her heart.

"But I have to go to work early tomorrow." Anna whined.

"Just come home for lunch and I'll give you the best nooner you've ever had."

"Ugh, fine."


	19. Chapter 19

Anna's eyes had been fixated on the clock of her classroom all morning. The hypnotic tick-tock of the hands endlessly taunting her as she felt like lunch time would never come; her arousal building with each passing minute. Thoughts of Elsa's silken lips all over her body crept into her mind no matter how hard she tried to distract herself. She'd already waited a week, what was a few more hours? She thought. _Hell_ , that's what it was. They'd gone for more than a week without having sex before but this was completely different. Having spent over seven nights in bed by herself Anna's sexual frustration had reached an all time new high and she desperately need to quell her burning desires for Elsa's touch.

When the bell rang and her students were off to the lunchroom in a well formed line she bolted from the building faster than any kid had even run from the school after a bell.

At home Elsa was startled by the sound of screeching rubber grinding to a halt as Anna slammed on her brakes and threw the shifter into park. Elsa peered out the window and saw Anna already loosening her braids as she walked to the door, planning to make the most of their time together by getting such frivolous things out of the way no doubt.

Anna burst through the door and swung it shut with a slam behind her. "Woops, that was loud. Sorry."

Elsa was sitting at their breakfast nook nibbling on a bowl of strawberries and sipping on a glass of ice water in what appeared to be only her undergarments.

"Okay we have one hour before I have to be back. I'm supposed to take them to the computer lab but Merida said she would just in case I-I'm…" Completely losing her train of thought at the sight of Elsa seductively sucking tart strawberry juices from her fingers. A red stained tongue swept across her mouth and she licked her thumb with a smack of her lips.

"Are you in your underwear?" Anna asked smirkingly.

"I am but because I was hot and my other bras were uncomfortable so I went with this." Referring to the magenta sports bra that she was filling to the brim; further revealing a cheeky pair of black and white leopard print panties as she walked her bowl to the kitchen sink. The leopard had to be on purpose, the rest was excusably innocent by Anna's standards.

"Listen, we have one hour so lets lay some ground rules." Anna spoke as she fumbled with the irritatingly small buttons of her shirt; there was no time for extended foreplay today. Clothes had to come off _now_ and Elsa already had a head start.

"What are you in the mood for?" Elsa asked approaching a half naked Anna, as if she were a waitress taking her lunch order. And if that was the case then Anna was positively _famished_.

Tearing the blouse from her heaving chest Anna strode up to Elsa until her lips were mere inches from the blonde's.

"Actually, I'd like something rough and hard...with a side of _naughty_. And for you?" Her voice was high with a tinge of sweetness to it, she'd have made a great waitress.

"Um...loving and tender, please. And preferably in bed. My back is killing me."

 _Loving and tender._ Anna thought to herself. _How adorable._

"You got it." Anna said, sliding her skirt down and shedding herself of the last article of clothing that stood between her and their afternoon delight.

That was the great thing about being married. You could clearly state what kind of sex you wanted without having to dance around the issue or worry about anyone's feelings getting hurt due to the lack of wooing or romance. This was a nooner. A quickie. Not some love scene out of a movie. There was a schedule to keep and the clock was ticking.

"Come with me." Elsa motioned for Anna to follow her with a beckoning finger, turning on her heel as she disappeared into the adjoining room.

She lead Anna to their formal dining room, twirling the wand of the blinds closed before setting her water down on a coaster. Naughty sex might have been on the docket but it was no excuse not to mind the finish on their solid wood table.

"Sit." Elsa pleasantly instructed, laying a hand on a spot at the head of the table. Anna may have been wanting something on the rough side but Elsa was still speaking in a sweet yet sultry voice.

Anna pranced over and shimmied herself onto the table, pupils wide with hungering desire as Elsa stood between Anna's legs.

"Now you said you wanted _rough_ and _naughty_ and…" Teasing the redhead as she firmly rested her hands on the table next to Anna's hips, bringing her lips a breath away from Anna's.

"Hard! Ugh, just fuck me already." She groaned in frustration, throwing her head back.

"Oh my, _swearing_. Aren't we a big girl." Her voice dropping lower and giving a light smack to Anna's rear, causing the redhead to bite her bottom lip and snarl with pleasure. Anna was in the mood to _play_. Every once in while she got like this when things began to get too _vanilla_ for her in the bedroom.

"Lay down." Elsa instructed, reaching under the table to grab a small pillow she'd placed there ahead of time for Anna's head.

"Here." Handing her the pillow.

Anna placed the pillow behind her and laid down on the table with her legs bent, dangling off the edge with the rest of her svelte body stretched across the table like a delectable banquete for Elsa to feast upon.

Jumping right into things, Elsa trailed a purposeful hand down from the back of Anna's ear, over the crescent mound of an ample breast, and brushed her fingers gently down the crevasse between her twitching abdominal muscles like a painter taking to their canvas; a look of absolute adoration gleamed in Elsa's eyes.

"Take off your bra and sit up for me, I have another idea."

Elsa grabbed her glass and fished out a cube of ice, crunching it between her molars as she pulled a chair up behind her and took a seat so that Anna's pert nipples were just above her mouth.

Giving the ice a quick swirl in her mouth, she grasped the sides of Anna's ribs and brought the nipple into her mouth. The fusion of cold ice and Elsa's warm tongue sent a jolt through Anna's spine. The ice stung but the chill was quickly soothed away by Elsa's suckeling, breathing a hot moan against the thoroughly wet skin when the last of the ice had melted in her mouth.

"Ommmagod that feels incredible." Anna murmured.

Elsa repeated the action the on other breast, this time finishing it off by gently blowing cool air over the hardening nipple; eliciting a sharp gasp from the redhead.

Taking Anna's wrist in one hand and a fresh ice cube in the other, Elsa dragged the ice over the delicate skin of Anna's tender wrist, creating an chilly path along a river of blue veins and up her forearm before chasing it with her tongue. The exhilarating sensation sent shivers up through her arm, radiating tiny shock wave all the way to her scalp as she wiggled with mirth.

"Are you warmed up enough yet?" Elsa's voice was deep and husky.

"Interesting choice of words but yes-"

Before Anna could finish her sentence, Elsa cut her off with an ardently deep kiss and guided her backwards with a hand behind Anna's head until she was flush with table; the taste of sweet strawberries lingering on Elsa's lips.

Hovering over Anna, Elsa released Anna's bottom lip with the scrape of her teeth and the redhead growled in response. Elsa continued and stroked the hollow of Anna's collarbone, as if she were marking her next conquest before wetting her lips and sucking on the supple skin.

She alternated licks and bites, the latter sparking a squeal that turned into a whimper once Elsa used that tongue of hers to moisten two fingers and make firm and well timed circles over Anna's cliterous.

Catching a glimpse of the time there was only about ten minutes left of Anna's turn in this sexapade. Wasting no time, she slipped the now slick fingers into Anna who immediately canted her hips furiously into Elsa's hand with a forceful grunt, setting her body ablaze.

"Harder!"

Elsa obeyed and accelerated her efforts, pushing her fingers to hilt until her knuckles met with Anna's soft lips; keeping a thumb nearby to continue those glorious rhythmic circles of pleasure. She reached back behind Anna's head and clutched a handful of cinnamon red locks and tugged, hard. A scream burst forth from Anna's lips and Elsa worried she'd gone too far until Anna grinned liked Maleficent herself.

Another look at the clock and with five minutes left Anna was well on her way to blastoff. In a final move Elsa wrapped her free arm around Anna's back, anchoring herself to her as she rocked harder into Anna. The table creaked and Anna screamed as Elsa panted into Anna's ear, running her teeth along the shell as an orchestra of sounds enveloped the room.

"Bite my neck, please I'm almost there." Anna begged breathlessly.

"You have to go back to work though."

"Fuck it, I'll wear a scarf."

Elsa hesitantly hoovered her mouth over Anna's pulsating neck, sinking her canines into her apricot skin. Another plea for harder and she clenched her jaw even tighter, feeling like she'd stepped out of her own comfort zone but dismissed the thought when she heard Anna's classic string of moans that meant she was about to climax. More explicatives mixed with wails filled the room as Anna's body convulsed to the crashing waves of her release, breathing so heavily her body arched off the table; pressing into Elsa as she laid hot kiss along Anna's sternum.

"What's come over you?" Elsa giggled as she surveyed the flushing bite mark on Anna's neck.

"A weeks worth of deprivation that's what. I just didn't want peaches and cream sex for once. I'm sorry if I-" Anna was out of breath and drained from the pleasure still coursing through her veins.

"No, don't be. I like when you're naughty sometimes. Just don't do that with me. My turn?"

This time Elsa helped Anna up and off of the table, taking a moment to regain proper use of her legs before they headed up to the bedroom.

Elsa laid down on the neatly made bed and Anna followed close behind, melding up against the blonde's side as she brushed loose bangs away from Elsa's face, taking a long strand between her fingers and twirling it playfully.

"I love this wavy post braid thing your hair is doing today." Releasing the lock of hair and exchanging it for the tip of Elsa's chin, lifting it to place a chaste and gentle kiss on Elsa's rubescent lips. _Loving and tender._ Anna reminded herself. _Not a problem._

The hand moved from her chin to cup Elsa's cheek, returning to welcome parted lips between her own as her thumb brushed over ghostly white freckles just below fluttering sapphire eyes.

"I need to slip these off you."

Elsa lifted her hips, allowing Anna to slide her underwear down her milky white legs and toss them aside. Elsa sat up and wormed her way out of her sports bra and laid back down, eyes locked on Anna's in the most loving way.

The emotion was a stark contrast to the one in the dining room. What was hot and steamy had melted into something more intimate and passionate. Elsa was so irresistible when she was in these demure sex kitten moods, especially when Anna could tell how much she'd been missed and wanted the past week. While Anna had been trying to satisfy a hunger, Elsa was rekindling a flame that had grown dim in her absence.

Anna dipped her head back down for another tender kiss, running a finger along the apex of Elsa's bare thighs. A soft moan left Elsa's lips and Anna kissed into it fully, deeply sinking two fingers inside Elsa with ease. Another pleasurable cry freed itself and Elsa slowly rocked her hips into Anna's hand, perfectly timed movements and sounds meshing to create a feeling of transcendent wholeness; moving together as one, wrapped in each other's arms.

Normally by this point Elsa closed her eyes and submitted to the sensual sensations but this time her eyes were open, half lidded but longingly looking deep into Anna's with complete devotion. Cerulean blues lost in an ocean of turquoise. Anna couldn't get over how turned on she was by Elsa's soft gaze, the look in her eyes as she moaned and breathed Anna's name against her lips was simply euphoric, intoxicating. There was an unearthly connection about it.

Anna quickened her pace, being mindful to keep a smooth and gentle rhythm as Elsa writhed against her. She leaned her weight into Elsa's side and they moved together in harmony. Ever whimper, every sensual gasp for air from Elsa sent waves of delectation up through Anna's body.

The pleasure intensified and Elsa finally let her eyes drift closed, tilting her head back just a bit as Anna watched Elsa's foot gracefully curl and arch, toes pushing into the sheets as she purred Anna's name.

Anna brought her lips to Elsa's ears and whispered the words she'd been longing to say to her.

"I missed you...so much."

"Ahhhh...mmmm"

"You're so beautiful...so amazing."

"Aaannnna..."

"I can't bear to be without you."

"Oh God...Anna."

Elsa's mouth locked open and her breathing halted as she waited for the continual building to engulf her in those rocketing pulsations. Anna watched as a whimpered breath escaped through Elsa's lips and began to feel the beats of tiny squeezes around her fingers that suddenly stopped shortly after. Confused she looked back to Elsa whose face was twisting even tighter, her cries growing louder as her body unleashed an even stronger ripple of spasms; burying her head into Anna's shoulder as her body shuddered from aftershocks.

"What happened there? It was like it started and then it stopped. You had like one and a half orgasms."

"I don't know. There was this huge build up and then it felt like it was going to be small, then it built up again really fast and was really really strong. I swear I don't know my own body anymore." Elsa tried to catch her breath though her heart was still pounding.

"I had such a good time. I'm sad that I have to go back and leave you here." Anna said, lamenting at the thought their perfect afternoon coming to an end.

"It's okay. This was fun."

They shared a few last kisses before Anna said goodbye and redressed before heading back to work, grabbing a scarf to hide her love bite on the way out.

Still humming from the incredible endorphin rush, and conveniently already in bed, Elsa decided to take a late afternoon nap instead of trying to fight the jet lag.

* * *

Stopped at a painfully long red light Anna looked up to the full moon hanging in the thick black sky, hoping it was more of a good omen than bad luck since they were on their way to the much anticipated couple's night at group. Anna had been looking forward to it for weeks, though she'd been several times and already felt comfortable with everyone there. Elsa on the other hand was wringing her hands and chewing her lip at the thought of sharing personal marital issues in front of a group of strangers, choosing to stare out the window deep in thought instead of engaging in a conversation with Anna.

With minutes to spare they managed to make it on time and Anna opted against diving into the plethora of free food in hopes of getting to speak first without a full mouth hampering her efforts.

"Alright everyone, let's get started. Welcome to our first couple's night. I'm the group's leader Tamora Jean Calhoun. It's a free forum, so I'll open it up to whomever would like to go first. Just remember to introduce yourself to the group and remind us how far along you are."

Anna had been chomping at the bit to go first ever since she heard the words _open forum_. With quiet a few people in the group and only two hours, she was going to get her money's worth.

"I'd like to go first! I-If that's okay." Anna sheepishly laughed, almost ashamed of the way she nearly shouted.

"Yes, go ahead Anna." Tamora motioned for her to begin.

"Oh hi, I'm Anna and…" Nudging Elsa on the arm as she seemed too preoccupied with looking around at the other group members to remember to introduce herself.

"Oh, right. And I'm Anna's wife Elsa and I'm twenty eight weeks along. Oh and it's a girl." Tamora didn't say anything about revealing the baby's gender but Elsa just couldn't help herself. She'd pretty much tell anyone that they were have a girl and she alway did it with a huge grin on her face.

Anna's hands were dancing in her lap as she couldn't wait to get down to business. She loved Elsa more than anything, but there were some things she needed to get off her chest and out in the open, in front of professional help.

"So for the rest of the group who doesn't know, Anna has been talking a lot about her struggle with not only being the nonpregnant partner but also about coming to terms with the fact that she cannot carry a child of her own. How many months was it that you underwent in vitro again Anna?" Again turning the conversation over to an anxious Anna.

Elsa was already beginning to feel apprehensive. They'd only been there ten minutes and Anna was delving right into their very personal and private issues. She eyed Tamora up and down, not contemptuously but slightly curious to know more about the bobbed cut blonde hair blue eyed woman who'd been giving her wife unconditional support and advice for weeks on end. Suppressing any feelings of jealousy for Anna's sake.

"I underwent four rounds over the course of about six months. And they were really painful." Her pace had slowed down as she was now preparing to reach into her heart and lay everything out on the table. She swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat and nervously tucked a loose strand of copper hair back behind her left ear. A behavioral pattern Elsa was all too familiar with and she knew something heavy was coming down the line.

"And none of the four took, at all?" Tamora clarified.

Anna solemnly shook her head before answering. "No. None of them." Her big teal eyes settled on Tamora, leaning to her for understanding and support and Elsa couldn't help but notice; her eyes shifted back and forth between the Tamora and Anna, observing the interaction with a keen eye.

"So tell us more about how you came to the decision to have Elsa start in vitro. What was Elsa's role in the original plan, long term I mean?" It was Tamora's way of politely asking if it was ever a part of their plan for Elsa to get pregnant, whether it was with a later pregnancy or not at all.

"I really, really, really wanted to be pregnant. We both did but I was so emphatic about it and we knew we wanted to have more than one baby that it was just the obvious choice to have me get pregnant first. We had planned on Elsa carrying the second or third baby but I think we were so preoccupied with the first one and that's where our focus was." This time Anna's eyes swept back to Elsa's, sharing a smile as if to comfort each other.

"Elsa how are doing? You seem a bit nervous perhaps." Tamora shifted to face Elsa with that open body language so typical of therapists.

Elsa's had unconsciously been hunching back in her chair as far as she could with her hands resting on her belly, fingers splayed across the swell as if trying to shelter the baby from the tension in the room.

"I've just never been to therapy or a support group before. It's all sort of new and I'm just taking it in I guess. But yes, I am nervous." Elsa replied, straighten her back in an attempt to appear less aloof.

What Anna had said was most accurate but she did manage to leave out the part about her job being more flexible than Elsa's and how that had also played a major role in their decision. It wasn't solely based on the idea that one partner wanted to get pregnant and the other didn't. Elsa wasn't too happy about the idea of her coming off as some ice queen who was opposed to being pregnant or something.

In reality she had always expected that getting married, becoming pregnant, and being a mom was in her future. She grew up like a lot of little girls who go through that mothering stage when they're young. She didn't have a lot of toys but she did have one doll that she liked to play mommy with, pretending to feed and rock her baby; dreaming of the day she'd get to start a family of her own with someone she loved.

When her and Anna sat down to have a serious discussion about starting a family Elsa had kept her wishes second to Anna's. She loved Anna so much she'd have done anything for her, made any sacrifice necessary to secure Anna's happiness. At the time it had been just over two years since the death of Anna's parents and Elsa knew being pregnant would make Anna the happiest woman in the world.

Anna had been so full of life when they met and Elsa desperately needed someone like that in her life after what she'd gone through. It was Anna who made Elsa laugh again, helped her remember what it was like to feel silly in the presence of someone who loved her wholeheartedly and returned that sparkle to her eyes.

Knowing the unimaginable pain and anguish Anna had suffered after her parents passing, Elsa wanted nothing more than to be the one Anna could lean on for once and make that infectious smile return to her face, replacing grief with the promise of a family. She had enough money to have as many children as they wanted and she knew she'd have her chance to carry a baby at a later time.

"So Anna, all your feelings about your inability to get pregnant and being the nonpregnant partner, how is that affecting this pregnancy and your relationship with Elsa? What worries are you experiencing?" Tamora continued as Elsa slid her crossed legs towards Anna, eager to hear the answer herself.

"Um...well" Anna hesitated as she was about to reveal feelings, deep personal feelings to Elsa in front of everyone. The moment she'd been waiting for but was now less bold than she initially thought she'd be.

"A lot of the things Elsa gets to experience like feeling the baby, talking to the baby, or just getting to grow this amazing miracle...makes me so jealous. Jealous, sad, hurt, mad and all at the same time and it's such a conflicting mix of emotions because they're about the person I love most."

Elsa lips pressed into a tight line as she heard Anna speak. She knew Anna had been having a hard time dealing with her feelings surrounding the pregnancy but her heart ached to know it was to such a degree. Especially when all she'd ever wanted was for their love to grow as they went from couple to family.

"Expand on that Anna. Jealous, sad, mad about what?" Tamora encouraged as she rested a finger against her lips introspectively.

"Jealous about the obvious. I'll never get to experience any of it first hand. Any of it. And everything that's happy or good has an underlying sadness. I was ecstatic when the baby kicked for the first time and then sad that it will never be me that gets to feel that the way Elsa does. Sometimes I watch Elsa getting ready for bed, when she's taking off her makeup or brushing her hair and I'll catch her in a moment of pure beauty. Pregnant woman are already so beautiful and when you combine that with my wife it's unreal. She has that pregnancy glow and the way its changed her body, the mere fact that she's carrying our child...she will never get to see _me_ that way."

Anna's spoke with such passion that it captivated every soul in the room. Every sympathetic eye was focused on her as she spoke. A lone tear rolled down Elsa's cheek, fully facing her wife even though Anna continued to keep her attention directed to Tamora, acting like a buffer between Anna's words and Elsa's reaction. It was easier for Anna to tell Tamora and the group and have Elsa indirectly listen.

Anna continued with her hands braced against her knees, further rooting herself into her chair. "And then I feel mad that _this_ is the hand life has dealt me, on top of losing my parents." Her voiced cracked but her composure remained unshaken.

"And why haven't you shared this with Elsa? Until today?" Tamora asked.

Finally Anna's eyes broke away from Tamora and looked directly into Elsa's, shattering the guise she'd been projecting to the group. Her words had been heartfelt but there was a certain amount of detachment to them in order for Anna to get through what she needed to say. Otherwise she'd have been an emotional mess and unable to make any progress.

"Because…" The word breaking into a whisper as it fell weakly from her lips.

"Because I don't want to hurt her. I don't want her to feel guilty or stop enjoying every precious moment of this journey." Tears were now streaming down both of their faces. Anna's lips trembled and she fought to get every word out as Elsa continued to absorbed each one of them.

Anna turned back to Tamora and the group.

"The one thing you don't understand is, and I hadn't thought about this until recently, no matter how badly I'm hurting, how jealous I feel, Elsa doesn't have any family besides me. If I spoil this for her, if I take this experience from her and taint it...I couldn't live with myself." She stopped to catch her breath and wipe her nose on the sleeve of her jacket.

"This baby _has_ to connect her to something greater, something bigger than her that's good and pure and restores her faith in everything she was once betrayed by. It has to because that's what this baby does for me. She give me hope. How can I take that from you?" Anna's eyes returned back to Elsa's and there was a long silence in the room.

"Elsa, is that correct? What Anna just said?" Tamora asked softly.

A neighboring group member passed her a box of tissue and Elsa dabbed the corners of her eyes, taking a moment to compose herself with a shuddering breath before turning to answer Tamora's question.

"Yes. Yes, she's exactly right. I love Anna with all my heart and nothing will ever change that. But what I've been feeling is different, a different _kind_ of love I guess. It's nothing like I've ever felt or expected to feel and has taken me by surprise. Of course being pregnant is _incredible_ but what's more amazing is the love I have for Anna...it's like it's expanding. Not just for me and the baby, for all three of us. You're not taking anything away from me." Elsa paused as she inhaled a sharp breath and swallowed back a sob.

"And you're crazy if you think you're the only the one who's worried about missing out. I know it's not the same and I would never dare to suggest my worries compare to yours, but you forget our lives are different. You're a teacher Anna. Your day ends at three or four in the afternoon. You have long breaks and you get summers off. I don't. You'll be there to pick her up from school, take her to activities...while I'm working or worse, traveling."

Anna listened intently, never thinking about what their lives would be like once the baby was born. Elsa was right, she was the proverbial career minded working parent. Her career was demanding and required more of Elsa's time. She was going to have to spend the next eighteen years at least trying to balance work and family, knowing there would be those times when she'd unwillingly let her family down.

While Anna would be at soccer practice or PTA meetings, Elsa would likely be locked away in her office drafting up designs and trying to meet deadlines or on the red-eye to some foreign metropolis.

"I'm not trying to negate your feelings. They're more than valid. And it was heartbreaking to have to watch your dreams dashed every time a procedure didn't take, to see that look of utter devastation on your face. And then to have such a short amount of time to grieve before finding out _this_ baby was coming. I can never fully understand what you've gone through. But I'm here for you. And I need you to be here for me. For us."

Breaking the invisible wall that seemed to have formed between them during the evening, Elsa reached out and held Anna's hand, giving it a firm squeeze and a reassuring smile.

"Anna we have to move on but did you feel like you got to say most of what you wanted to talk about tonight?" Tamora asked, being mindful of the time.

"I did. I think I've reached my emotional limit for the day."

* * *

After the catharsis that occurred in group they were both too tired for words on the drive home. Instead they replayed parts of the evening in their head, thinking and rethinking about what had been said, what had been felt. Anna still hadn't said _everything_ she'd wanted to say but felt a sense of relief after group. Nothing she said would ever repair her broken dream but just the simple act of talking about it and getting it out in the open lightened the sorrow she'd been harboring inside for far too long.

At home Elsa was busy getting ready for bed, standing in front of their double sink vanity in a camisole and pajama bottoms as she wiped the remaining mascara that hadn't been washed away during group from under her eyes. Remembering what Anna had said earlier, she glanced over her shoulder to see Anna sitting in bed with her eyes transfixed on Elsa's every move.

"You watching me again?"

A long content sigh came from the bedroom and Anna slouched against the headboard of the bed just a bit more.

"Mmhm." A trace of a smile played across her lips.

Elsa chuckled to herself as she smeared the last of her overly priced moisturizer over her already flawless face, promptly joining Anna upon finishing.

They shifted amongst the blankets as they settled into bed, pillows pressed together laying face to face. Elsa lovingly gazed into Anna's eyes and smiled warmly until she remembered the rest of what Anna had said, how Elsa would never be able to see _her_ that way.

"Anna. You know that there's isn't anything you could do to make me more attracted to you. I love every curve and plane of your body but what I love most about you is your heart, your fire, the way you make me feel alive. Even if you _were_ pregnant, of course I would think you were beautiful but what would make fall in love with you all over again would be to see you so happy."

She stroked Anna's cheek with a brush of her knuckles and kissed the smattering of freckles on the end of her nose.

"I just want to see you happy." She whispered.

"I am or at least I will be. I _do_ need to focus more on the good things happening right in front of me and think about ways I can feel special in all this."

"Actually I was thinking, with this Dubai deal finalized, we should probably get you a new car. Something more family friendly. We could go look this weekend."

"Really? Wha- that would be fantastic!" Anna shot up with wild eyes. "Between your car and mine we're not going to have enough room if we go on a road trips or have another kid. Wait, why just me though?" Pulling herself out of her thoughts.

"Because you'll be doing most of the drop off and pick ups from daycare and all that. And It might help give you have something to look forward to. And we only have one kid on the way right now so we don't need two family cars, yet. My only request is that it be a hybrid."

"Hybrids go fast right?"


	20. Chapter 20

Bright and early Saturday morning Anna was outside clearing out her belongings from the trunk of her car, just in case they saw something they liked and she had to trade her car in that day. The trunk was littered with all kinds of random items; school supplies, jumper cables, a mug, tennis balls, nail polish, an old piece of licorice, _ew,_ and one of Elsa's old sweaters.

The floor of the trunk became more visible as more junk got shipped out and Anna could envision all of it being replaced by a stroller, diaper bag, and baby toys; undergoing a true mommy transformation. She was so ready to have a car completely devoted to being a mom. The kind she saw driving down the freeway with a _Baby on Board_ sign and little stick figure family decals plastered on the back window. Elsa kept her car pristinely clean, it helped that the parking garage at work had a car wash service in it, and knew that she would never allow such things on her back window. But a family car meant family rules and Anna couldn't wait to get a new car and install a carseat in it so that she could focus more on life after pregnancy.

When all the clutter had been completely removed Elsa toddled down the driveway looking like a some sort of celebrity in her oversized sunglasses and giant hobo bag.

"Where are we headed to first?" Anna asked, turning the key and starting the car.

"Well, that depends. So because I want a hybrid and you want a crossover, that leaves us with about four choices after weeding out the others for safety, quality, and space. So first car on the list is the Lexus RX."

If Anna thought Elsa was thorough about buying something as simple a baby swing, she had no idea what she was in for when it came to Elsa purchasing a car. She'd been lucky in the past when they had bought their own cars separately but this was going to be the first one they bought together.

"No way. That's way too fancy for me or a family. Kids spill things and fling Cheerios everywhere. I once melted an entire box of crayons on my mom's backseat." Elsa giggled as Anna acted out the throwing of Cheerios like a classically trained actor.

"That sounds about right for you. So that's a no?" Elsa steadied a hand on her phone, ready to erase the car from her list.

"A no, thank you." Anna replied, smiling extra wide.

"Very polite. Okay next is the Porsche Cayenne."

"Agaaaaiin with the too fanciness. Plus, we only need one German vehicle in our driveway. We don't want to look pretentious _do we_?" Anna's eyes motioned over to Elsa's car parked next to them.

"Moving on. Cadillac Escalade."

"Naaaaaa...that's not really my style. It's too big and there's no way I could drive that and not feel like I'm in a rap video or something."

Elsa erased the Cadillac from her list. Too bad because she had liked how roomy it was for a hybrid.

"Right. Those are all valid points. Last but not least the Toyota Highlander." Crossing her fingers in hopes Anna would like _something_ and not send her back to the drawing board.

"Let me see the picture." Elsa brought up the picture of the car on her phone and flashed it to Anna.

"Yes. Perfect! We have a winner! Off to Toyota it is."

* * *

Anna pulled into the car lot where they were immediately swarmed by four car salesmen in finely pressed dress shirts and ties. Anna jumped out of the car and began mingling with the salesman like she was on _The Bachelorette_ while Elsa put on her game face and walked up beside Anna.

"Elsa, this is Gaston! He's going to show us the Highlander." Anna squealed giddily.

Elsa slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and eyed the man over the tortoise shell rim. Gaston was the least likely salesman Elsa would have chosen. A strapping debonaire of a man with slicked back black hair and, oh God...a ponytail. He looked like the exact kind of guy that worked out at the gym only to hit on women, his steroid infused muscles proved he frequented such an establishment.

"A pleasure to meet you. Anna tells me you're looking to trade in for something more suitable for a family. You've picked a great car. The Highlander is one of our top selling models and it has excellent gas mileage." His voice boomed like a baritone and his smoldering grin revealed teeth as big and white as Chiclets. Elsa suddenly remembered why she'd ditched men so very long ago and Gaston was a perfect example.

She lifted up her sunglasses and perched them atop her head so that she could look Gaston square in his beady little eyes.

"We're only interested in the hybrid model and Anna will be the primary driver so whatever she wants is hers." Breaking her stone like expression with Gaston as she turned and winked to Anna, who was so overjoyed she grabbed Elsa by the face and planted a juicy kiss on her lips right on front of Gaston.

"My wife is the _best_." Anna gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, you're married." Gaston bemoaned dejectedly, suddenly losing interest in the perky redhead. Elsa grinned mercilessly at Gaston's pouting face. _She's mine ponytail._

Gaston lead them across the jungle of a car lot, past the sedans to the area where they kept the crossovers. A smorgasbord of Highlanders flooded Anna's vision. Slack-jawed she ran to get a closer look but couldn't decide which color to choose; running back and forth like a lost child until Gaston handed her a brochure with exterior and interior color options.

"First let's decide on a color little lady." Patting her on the back.

"Anna. Her _name_ is Anna." Elsa tried to be polite but her claws were starting to show. No one called her Anna _little lady_.

"Elsa what color do you like?" Anna leafed through the brochure, unable to make a decision.

"It's your car you should pick it."

"I think I want to get Blizzard Pearl." Her eyes lit up at the name.

"You mean white." Elsa corrected bluntly.

"Nooooooo, I mean _Blizzard Pearl._ I love that name. How could you say no to a color called Blizzard Pearl?" Whispering the name as if she were divulging the name of a top secret operation. Topping it off with the sound effect of wind blowing.

"Because there's a bar in Oslo called _Blizzard Pearl._ " Using the same tone Anna had but more mockling.

"And how would _you_ know such a thing?" Anna said playfully, giving Elsa's shoulder a light shove. She loved to tease Elsa about being the more _uptight_ one in the pair.

"I had a life before you. Can we get back to colors please?" Pointing to the swatches in the brochure.

"I want _Blizzard Pearl_." Anna reiterated slowly, head nodding to the syllables.

"We'll go with Blizzard Pearl." Elsa said approvingly, giving a nod to Gaston.

"I'll drink to that!" Anna joked, pretending to slog back what Elsa could only assume was a beer; going by the _ca-tssss_ sound Anna made as she opened the imaginary can.

"Great, that's settled. Now leather or fabric?" Gaston asked, flipping the brochure over to the selection of interior color options.

"I was thinking-" Anna started to say.

"Leather." Elsa interjected. "Sorry, I just think it will be easier to clean and maintain with all the Cheerios and what not." Shuttering as she thought back to the melted crayons Anna mentioned earlier. It was no secret that Elsa was a bit of neat freak. It was something that had been ingrained in her from an early age. Growing up in a house that was more museum than home will do that to people.

"Right this way."

Gaston proceeded to lead them to the nearest Hylander in Blizzard Pearl and opened every door so that Anna could freely explore. Elsa remained outside next to Gaston as Anna moved about the cabin like she'd had about five Red Bulls and a Pixie Stick; touching every button, knob, and switch before scrupulously testing each seat.

"This model seats up to eight or five with lots of cargo room in the back. It also has two sunroofs, a navigation system with bluetooth technology and back up camera, advanced airbag system, and this particular one you're looking at has a blu-ray entertainment system in the backseat."

"Wait, what? An entertainment system!"

Anna hopped in the backseat as carefree as a preschooler and flipped down an eight inch screen from the overhead entertainment system.

"Elsa! You can watch movies and stuff in here. This is awesome!" Anna's eyes were lost in the blue glow of the screen before Sesame Street began to play and Anna sang along to the opening song. Anna was no doubt thrilled about becoming a parent but to her, one of the best parts was getting to relive her childhood through the eyes of her daughter.

" _She_ can watch movies in there. You're the mom remember. We have to sit up front." Elsa reminded, ever the voice of reason.

"How many car seats can you fit in here?" Anna looked about the backseats, trying to guestimate just how big a family one could fit back there.

"Up to four. Three is the second row and one in the third row." Gaston bellowed.

"Elsa! We could fit four of our children in here..." Anna exclaimed as her flight of thoughts took off.

"Anna, wait...slow down..."

"I mean I don't know if they'd need four different carseats and if some of them have friends we could fit them in here too!" Elsa's eyes popped open and she stepped towards the car to harness her wife; hands outstretched and steadfast as if she were physically trying to stop Anna's prattling. They hadn't even delivered this first baby and suddenly Anna now had them having four.

"Anna, no one is buying four car seats, no one one is having four children." Elsa suddenly wished she'd pushed for a sedan. Four trimesters of morning sickness, four labors, four births, 36 months of pregnancy. The thought alone sent her anxiety shooting through the roof.

Hoping a quick distraction would move Anna off the subject she turned back to Gaston.

"Didn't you say something about satellite radio?" Gaston had mentioned no such thing but Elsa was desperate and banking on Anna's excitement levels to lure her back to the front seat to further investigate the feature.

"Why...yes it does!" The man may have seemed like a dullard but he caught on quick to Elsa's lead in.

Gaston rambled on about the channels and music options while Elsa took a chance to explore the backseat herself. This was real. This was happening. This baby was coming, soon, and they were finally going to be a family. Cheerios and all.

"Look and there's a USB port for your phone or tablet. Oh my God, look how big this center console is. You could fit both of our purses in here…"

As Anna continued to flutter about the car, accidentally switching on the windshield wipers at one point, Elsa and Gaston watched on like Anna was a kid on Christmas morning discovering her shiny new gifts.

"I think she likes it." Elsa murmured as she relished Anna's enjoyment.

"Is she always this... _vivacious_?" Gaston rubbed the side of his neck, astonished at Anna's energy levels.

Elsa chuckled to herself and smiled as she looked at Anna bent over the backseat, legs flailing in the air as she checked out the first aid kit under the seat.

"Yes. Yes, she is." A quality she most enjoyed about her Anna.

"Well, why don't we take it out for a quick test drive and you can see how it handles on the road?" Gaston helped Elsa into the first row of the backseat, where she had a perfect view of Elmo on the screen, while Anna and Gaston jumped in the front.

As Anna drove down the street Gaston continued to point out various features.

"Now if you'll look up here you'll see you have your regular rear-view mirror and a separate family mirror that's meant to check on everyone in the back."

Anna shifted her eyes to the family mirror to see Elsa in the back giving a small wave as she smiled and giggled, loving how much Anna was enjoying the car.

"You look like a kid back there." Anna smiled as she continued to look at Elsa.

"Well I'm housing the kid so I guess that's fair enough to say." Elsa retorted. She'd never felt so American, buying the perfect family car complete with an entertainment system. A breath of fresh air compared to the chauffeured luxury cars her family traveled around Oslo in.

"But remember to return your eyes to the road." Gaston reminded when Anna started to drift into the other lane, captivated by Elsa's sassy blue eyes giving her flirtatious looks through her thick lashes.

To Elsa's delight Anna was able to keep herself within the speed limit as they drove around the neighborhood and road the freeway up and back to the car lot.

"Oh Elsa, I love it. It's perfect." Anna jumped out of the car and stood back to admire her potential mommy mobile.

"Shall we get it?"

"Wait, you mean like right now?" Anna shook her head in disbelief.

"Yeah, like _right_ now." Elsa gleamed.

"You're not going to make me sleep on it or wait for a Carfax report or even check with consumer reports first?" Knowing Elsa wasn't one to make a decision without doing an obscene amount of research first.

"No. I thoroughly vetted each of the cars on the list before we came to look at them. If you want it, it's yours."

Anna covered her mouth with her hands and let out a tiny shriek, taking three hops over to Elsa and throwing her arms around her.

"Thank you Elsa."

"Let's go inside and complete the paperwork. By the end of today you'll be leaving in your new car little-"

Elsa flashed Gaston a steely look, daring him to finish his sentence so that she could tear into him.

"Uh, Anna!" Quickly correcting himself as he winced at Elsa's glare.

After an hour of paperwork and a last goodby to Anna's old car, Gaston handed them the keys and they hopped into their brand new family car.

"Let's take her out and see what she can do." Anna said, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles.

"Sure. Where should we go?"

"Everywhere! Anywhere and everywhere. You just make sure your seat belt is buckled over that adorable belly of yours."

* * *

Everywhere indeed. Anna's lead foot took them on the freeway, down by the shoreline, and into the drive thru line at In-N-Out Burger before heading to park at a viewpoint.

"I'm going to get a double double meal. What are you having?" Anna asked as she looked back at Elsa who was staring at the fluorescent drive thru menu, again fraught with worry over what to order.

"Live a little. You can get it protein style with the lettuce wrapped around your burger. She's also my child and you should incorporate some of my food preferences into your diet." Hoping that her argument was convincing enough for Her Majesty Queen of Health Food.

"Fine but I don't want fries, or onions, and with a pink lemonade." Elsa quickly tried to get her order in before Anna pulled up to the speaker.

"I love you. Not lemonade but _pink_ lemonade."

"What? It taste better than regular lemonade. Besides, we're having a girl so pink is appropriate don't you think?" Trying to be as charming as ever as her smile coiled up the right side of her mouth.

Eating fast food in the car together was a rare treat. Elsa _never_ ate in her car, she didn't even drink whatever was in her tumbler until she got to work. And it was even rarer to see her eat fast food. But since it was a special occasion, Elsa gave in and let them celebrate by having dinner in the car. Besides, she was starving and wouldn't have made it home anyways.

* * *

After picking up dinner Anna drove through the hills leading up to a viewpoint overlooking the city. She couldn't have picked a more perfect time as evening was descending on city. Bright lights flickered on and twinkled in the twilight like fireflies dancing in night.

"It drives really well." Elsa said, finishing the last bite of her burger.

"Yeah. I love that new car smell." Anna sucked in a huge breath of air, humming a "mmmm" as she exhaled. It smelt like new car but now with a hint of In-N-Out still wafting about.

"I feel like we're on a date. It's kind of nice." Eyes shifting away from the view and over to Anna.

"Yeah. I can't believe I'm going to look in this mirror in a few months and see a baby in the reflection. All snuggled up in her cozy little carseat." Anna fisted her hands and jiggled her arms up near her chest as if she were snuggling into warm blanket.

"Which we _still_ have to buy. We have so much stuff left to get." Elsa groaned at the amount of baby related things they still had to do.

"Well Merida had said that she wanted to do a shower for me at work."

"Yeah, Tiana said she wanted to do something for the both of us one of these weekends. I guess that's the bonus of two women having a baby is that they both get to be at the shower." They both giggled.

"That means we're going to have to register." Anna's boasted, practically singing the word register with a childlike delight.

"You with one of those registry scanners and a giant store full of merchandise. I can't wait." Elsa's sarcasm was accompanied by a roll of her eyes.

"What do you mean? I pick out great stuff." Defending herself.

"I think the word you might be looking for is useless. Useless stuff."

"What?"

"Remember when we registered for our wedding and you scanned eight different styles of bundt pans that you said you _had_ to have that now sit in the Christmas boxes in the basement." Elsa slumped against the seat with her arms folded, the sound of the new leather seat groaning against her.

"Hey I _am_ going to use those one day." Anna exclaimed.

"I won't hold my breath."

"Have you been thinking about names?" Anna's eyes drifting back to Elsa who was examining the visor mirror, sliding the cover back and forth as she looked at her reflection.

"I looked at the name book a few times and started a list. Nothing jumped out at me but I seem to like K and V names."

"Wait, V names? Like what?" It was such an odd letter choice and Anna couldn't even begin to think of any names that started with V that she remotely cared for.

"Um...Vivianne, Violet, Victoria."

"Seriously? These are names for a baby born in 2014 not 1814 right?" Anna joked.

"Hey, I actually happen to know a lot of lovely people by those names thank you very much. Let me hear some of yours." Elsa leaned in to rest her elbow on the center console, chin on hand eager to hear what Anna had in store for her.

"Harper, Poppy, Zara, Ansley, Finola…"

"What? I'm sorry I can't give birth someone named Finola Arendelle. It sounds like something you cook with." Scrunching her nose in distaste. Clearly they had some different opinions when it came to names. More things to work on. _Great,_ Elsa thought.

"Those aren't my favorites, just the one I can remember from _my_ list. Let me hear more of yours."

"Hold on." Elsa pulled her phone out of her purse and brought up her list appropriately titled _Tentative List of Baby Names._

"Keira, Kyra, Keirsten, Kayla, Kaylynn…"

"Wow, you seriously _do_ have a thing for K names."

"It's just because I started with K first when I looked in the book. Although my fondness for K names may be the Norwegian in me coming out or something. Amelia, Olivia, Nora, Mya, Ava, Abby, Sophia, and Lillian. Well Lilly actually but that's what I've got so far."

"Wait, like my Lilian?" Anna blinked and pointed to herself.

"Well in case we wanted to go with a family name. I like Lilly for short but I don't know, I'm not really committed to any these names yet." She closed the app and slipped her phone back into her bag, tucking it back under the seat.

"Hmmm. I'll think about that one. Maybe as a middle name or something." Anna said.

Whether they settled on that name or not Anna was touched that Elsa had even thought of naming the baby after her mom. Even if it only ended up being a possible middle name. It warmed her heart and reminded her that they were with her through this whole thing. Still watching her, guiding her.

"Okay but we clearly need to work on our lists before she comes. We can't bring her home nameless. I'm tired and I have to pee, again. Can we go home now?" Elsa whined.

"Yes, but first come here."

Anna leaned over the center console as far as she could, fingers wrapped around Elsa's jawline as she pulled her in and closed the gap between them, feeling the slight touch of their lips meeting; taking Elsa's lips over her own. Her fingers threaded into the back of Elsa's braid at the nape of her neck, pulling away slightly before tilting her head the other direction and deepening the kiss as she gave a soft hum that tickled Elsa's lips. The taste of pink lemonade meshed with the wintergreen zing of a breath mint Anna had considerately popped in her mouth a few minutes ago. Anna peeked the tip of her tongue ever so slightly across Elsa's bottom lip, just missing when Elsa tried to catch it with her own.

"You playing hard to get?" Elsa cooed playfully, wrapping her hands around the back of each of Anna's braids, pulling her in even closer.

Another soft kiss and Anna gently sucked Elsa's bottom lip into her mouth before parting again.

"You already got me." Anna replied with a fervid slip of her tongue, swallowing the muffled moan it evoked from Elsa. The blonde's hands etched their way from Anna's shoulders around to her back and across her blades, their tongues kneading together, sliding effortlessly as they lost themselves in each other.

"Now I _really_ feel like I'm on a date." Elsa breathed heavily before Anna's lips met with hers again, kissing slowly but more firmly.

"I'll try to have you home by curfew."

* * *

Back at home Anna was sitting on the couch playing with her new keys while Elsa finished downing two entire glasses of water in the kitchen.

"I still can't believe you bought me a car. I feel kind of guilty in a way."

Elsa waddled from the kitchen over to the couch with a hand resting against her belly, prepared for the next activity burst from the baby as was now the norm after eating.

"Why? I've told you our entire relationship, my money is your money. We needed it and it's for our family." Elsa said as she took up a seat next to Anna.

"But you're _always_ taking care of me, financially. You built our home, which I could never afford on my salary alone. You spent $60,000 on in vitro treatments last year. And now a car."

"Anna you're a _very_ humble person. I've always loved that about you. But remember that I provide in some ways and you provide in others. Yes, I paid for in vitro but who's been taking care of me this entire pregnancy? Who's making sure I know every lullaby and children's song to sing to our baby? Who's going to hold my hand when I'm in labor? You are. What you give is priceless."

"Thank you." Anna whispered as Elsa repeatedly brushed her thumb over the redhead's speckled cheekbone.

"You know, I have something else to give you and it's with all the Dubai souvenirs. You want to see what I got you?" Not like Anna was going to say no but Elsa was already halfway up the stairs when Anna squealed "yes."

When Elsa returned with her massive duty free shopping bag, she pulled out each item one by one as Anna gushed over each gift. First were two pairs of embellished shoes that Elsa picked up at the gold souk, one in pink and the other in green.

"You can wear them like ballet flats." Elsa said as she slipped them on Anna's feet, earning her a kiss of gratitude.

"These are really cute. I may wear them on Monday." Anna admired her new shoes, clicking them together like they were ruby slippers.

Anna made her way through the box of chocolate camels, a shirt that simply said "Dubai" on it in Arabic font, a bag of Arabian candy, and a snow globe of the Dubai skyline featuring the Burj al Arab for Anna's desk. She loved ironic nick-nacks like that.

Anna was halfway through the chocolates when they reached the last item at the bottom of the bag, the ring from the gold souk. Elsa couldn't wait to see Anna's face, hoping after the group session that it would make her feel more like a part of the pregnancy and help her look forward to them becoming a family of three.

"So this is the last thing. And don't say anything about how much it cost because I negotiated a pretty good deal with the salesman."

Elsa pulled the small red velvet box from the bag and held it out to Anna, biting her lip in anticipation. Wide eyed, Anna reached out and took the box in her hand, opening it to find the perfectly smooth gold ring with three set diamonds that cast tiny little rainbows onto Anna's face.

"It's beautiful. Elsa, gosh. This is too much."

An uneasy feeling started to settle in Anna's stomach. She thought back to all the things she'd done while Elsa was gone. While she was busy breaking Elsa's trust, Elsa was scouring the markets of Dubai looking for the perfect gifts for her. At the exact same time Anna was punching in her credit card number to the get the background reports, Elsa was riding in a chauffeured car on the way to a meeting listening to the playlist Anna had made her, trying learn as many songs as she could so that they could sing to their baby together. When Anna was sleeping off her night out with Merida, Elsa was frantically trying to get a hold of Anna to have their scheduled Skype chat.

"I didn't plan on getting anything this extravagant but I was in the gold souk and I saw this, with three little diamonds. I just thought it would be nice to wear and you could think of the three of us everytime you look at it."

Anna stared at the ring, her vision blurring from the tears building up over her eyes.

"Do you want me to take it out for you?" Elsa assumed Anna must have been overwhelmed by the gesture and moved closer to help Anna with the ring.

Leaving the box open, Anna set it down on the coffee table and clasped a hand over her mouth. She could feel it, building up from within her chest, secrets she could no longer hold back. The putrid tang of vile coated the back of her throat as guilt began to seep through every pore of her body. Here Elsa was lavishing her with jewelry and cars, making up for what she could never ultimately give Anna, and she had dug into Elsa's personal and private past without her permission, and omitted to tell her for almost a week.

"I don't understand what's going on. Are you upset? Did I do something wrong?" Elsa's face twisted with worry, unsure of what was bothering Anna, though she could see something was happening behind those morose eyes.

"No. You didn't do anything wrong." Removing her hand from her mouth and shifting her eyes away from Elsa, boring holes into the floor as if it were going to provide her with the courage she needed.

"Elsa, I have to tell you something. I don't know if I can even bring myself to say it because it's not only going to change the _entire_ mood of the day…but it's going to hurt you."


	21. Chapter 21

"Elsa I have to tell you something. I don't know if I can even bring myself to say it because it's not only going to change the _entire_ mood of the day…but it's going to hurt you." Her eyes returned to Elsa's, filled with a look the blonde had never seen before that unnerved her to say the least.

"Tell me what?" Sounding hurt already by the mere thought of Anna keeping something from her. Hurt and afraid of whatever Anna was about to say, her back stiffening as she braced herself.

"When you were in Dubai, I was home alone and I did something completely stupid that I regret now, but I started thinking about the boxes in the basement and you weren't here and I was alone and-"

"Anna." Urging her to get to the point.

"Sorry." Taking a breath to reorganize her thoughts. "The day you tried to put the krumkake iron away, I kept that photo of your family you were trying to reach. I kept looking at it and I just had so many questions."

"You kept my photo?" Elsa replied meekly.

"I forgot about it and found it when you were gone. I wanted answers, badly, so I...I started searching your father's name online." She grimaced at her own confession as it flew from her lips.

"You did _what_?" Elsa's chest heaved, her eyes began to dart around the room, feeling like it was beginning to spin.

"I also...oh God...I also went through some of your boxes."

"What?" Elsa's eyes were as big as saucers and her mouth dropped open as a look of utter shock overtook her body.

"I don't _believe_ you. How...how could you do that?" Her words were breathless, broken and Anna could already hear Elsa's pain resonating in her voice.

"I feel _awful_ Elsa. It's been tearing me up inside and I truly couldn't regret anything more." She moved closer to where Elsa sat paralysed on the couch, only to provoke her into fleeing to the other side of the room, hand on hip with fingers pressed to her lips as she tried to swallow the revelation.

Anna could only watch helplessly as Elsa sank deeper into a state of distress, hands furiously raked through her hair as the words _this can't be happening_ resounded in her head.

"Let me get this straight, you did an internet search on my father _and_ you went through my things?" She clarified with an almost ghostly hollow voice, her hands trembling as they fisted and blanched.

"Yes. And I need to be _completely_ honest. I also purchased a background report on you…and your father." Anna's eyes slammed shut as she couldn't bare to see Elsa's reaction, but that didn't save her from hearing Elsa's ungodly gasp.

"Anna...no." It was as if Elsa was begging for it not to be true.

Anna's eyes slowly reopened and she could see the fate of her blow on Elsa's harrowingly bleak face. There was now a look _she_ had never seen in Elsa's wide and shallow eyes. She could see every bit of trust breaking and shattering before her very eyes.

"What I've done is...appalling. I'm sickened by the thought of my own actions and what I've done to you. But... at the same time...I learned so much that you've been keeping from me. This is a marriage and I'd like to think it's even more than that if possible. We give ourselves to each other, entirely. And I have...but have you?"

"Anna that's not fair. I've given my entire heart...my soul to you. What _facts_ could you have possibly learned that would endear me more to you?"

"Your father's company, it's a shipping company isn't it?" She asked trepidatiously.

Elsa didn't respond and instead gave a nod, too flooded to speak.

"And you said they were wealthy but that was clearly an understatement."

"What does that matter?" She countered, backing further away from Anna.

The tension weighed heavily on the room, so thick that Elsa was finding it difficult to move, inert from Anna's continued barrage as the color began to drain from her face.

"It doesn't, I just didn't know. You've always been more sophisticated than me and now I have a better understanding about the kind of life you must have had before me." Unable to stand the distance between them any longer, Anna got up from the coach and slowly inched towards a shaken Elsa, who now had her arms wrapped defensively around herself.

"Anna I'm not doing this now, not this way. Whatever you found out just keep it to yourself." She turned and bolted for the stairs, walking straight past Anna.

"There's more." Another grimace, this one deeper than the last.

Elsa stopped mid-step and slowly turned her head back towards Anna, fearing the tone of her voice as she looked at her with a familiar look of pain on her face that seemed to be held together by the tight line of her lips. As if this nightmare couldn't get any worse.

Anna steadily made her way over to the staircase.

"Your father, he stepped down from the company. In fact, Arendelle Shipping was bought by another company and is being broken up and sold off."

"That was only a matter of time." She said matter-of-factly. Elsa knew by leaving that the future of the company was something she'd have to live with, whether it prospered or failed.

"Elsa the reason why he stepped down was because of illness. I had a hard time translating the news article but it said he needed to focus on his treatment and was in a fragile state." She slowly approached Elsa who was frozen on the stairs, gripping the banister with white knuckles as if her ability to remain standing depended solely on the frame itself.

"Why are you telling me this?" Elsa breathed heavily, the anguish penetrating through her words.

"I thought you should know. I thought you'd want to know." Her words sheathed with the utmost sincerity.

"I _don't_. This doesn't change anything." The blonde's grip on the banister tightened, so hard she thought she'd shatter the wood into splinters right there.

"I told you because...I never got the chance to say goodbye to my parents and I'd give anything... _anything_ to have seen them one last time. I'm not saying he's dying but he could be. I don't know, the article was three years old. But you should take some time to think about this."

With a blink Elsa turned and proceeded up the stairs in a huff.

"Elsa please don't walk away from me." Picking up her pace as Anna hotfooted up the steps.

"Anna, just leave me be." Her voice cracking and shaking as hot tears pooled in her eyes, a hand jutted out urging Anna to stay away.

"Elsa stop, please." She grabbed Elsa's hand and tried to turn her back around, causing her to sink down and awkwardly sit on the steps. Anna knelt down on the step below and gently held Elsa's upper arms so that she couldn't run away.

"Please talk to me. I can see your mind's a whirlwind right now, if you would just let me in. This could all come to an end." She implored, heartbroken by the storm of emotions swirling in Elsa's eyes.

Anna was losing her strength, it was draining from her faster than she could speak. There was no sign of the bright eyed free spirit, just a sullen face with pleading orbs.

"I can't live like this any more. Since the day I met you've had this pain behind your beautiful eyes. Always holding something back. It wouldn't hurt so bad if some part of you didn't wish it could be different. Didn't wish that you could change it. But your chance is going to slip right through your fingers and you'll never get it back if you keep shutting it out." Her voice was quiet, loving even, but her words were strong and powerful.

Elsa's breathing was rapid, sharp gasps for air were the only thing holding back her cries.

"Aren't you tired of running from this, from your past, from him? From everything?" The grip on Elsa's arms loosened and Anna took hold of Elsa's hands, stroking them palm side up, as if to coax a reply out of her.

"We've weathered every storm together. We can get through _this_ together, it doesn't have to be this way. If you'd just tell me what happened, just finally let me in so that I can help heal this wound you've had for far too long. You're fighting it now, I can see it on your face, in your eyes."

Elsa looked down at their hands before steadying her breathing long enough to speak. Reddened eyes glazed with tears gazed back up at Anna.

"How could you do this to me?" Her words barely above a whisper.

Anna's face was flat, solemn yet her eyes stayed on Elsa.

"Is this what you meant by working on _us_? By destroying _us_? By destroying _me_?"

Anna shook her head, she'd never meant for any of this to happen. Never meant for it to spiral out of control like this.

"No. I just want to end the pain. You could end it, for all of us."

Another sharp gasp and Elsa half swallowed a sob.

"I can't." Pushed as far as she could go, Elsa pulled her hands away from Anna's as she turned and hurried up the stairs into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Anna collapsed on the stairs and cradled her head in her arms. She'd given it her all, but it wasn't enough. Left with nothing but the horrid feeling of knowing she'd violated Elsa's trust and the tremendous agony of defeat as she was unable to break down Elsa's walls yet again.

Tears dripped from her eyes and pooled onto the carpeting of the stairs as Elsa's own sobs could be heard from a distance.

 _What are we going to do?_

* * *

Anna had fallen asleep in the guest bedroom, still in her clothes and makeup from the night before, the sound of a rustling gym bag catching her attention. Immediately fearing Elsa was packing a bag to leave she flipped over the bed to try and catch her in a fleet of panic before she left. By the time she made it down the hallway Elsa was already on her way down the stairs, dressed in long black yoga pants and a lime green workout shirt, her gym bag and purse slung over her shoulder. She didn't turn around but she could feel Anna hot on her trail.

"Elsa wait, stop. Elsa, please." Anna cried.

Elsa kept right on moving, grabbing her keys off the kitchen counter before opening the front door in a hurry.

"Stop, please! Are you leaving? Me? I mean... are you leaving me?" Anna was panting and nearly out of breath from chasing Elsa, grabbing at a sharp pain in her side as she bent over in the entryway.

Elsa stopped and turned back, wanned and bleary-eyed. There were dark grey circles under her eyes, her beautiful blue irises were bloodshot and she looked beyond tired.

"I'm going to the gym. I'll be back later." She spoke so softly and Anna could tell last night had not only taken a toll on Elsa, it had downright broken her.

"Okay." Relieved to find her wife _wasn't_ leaving her, though it probably wouldn't have shocked her. She was actually kind of amazed Elsa had even spoken to her.

The last thing Elsa wanted to do was _see_ Anna, let alone talk to her, but she wasn't the kind of person who was cruel enough to make her worry about her whereabouts when she was the one carrying their baby.

She quietly closed the front door behind her and Anna watched out the window as Elsa got in her car. As soon as Elsa shut the door she folded her arms over the steering wheel and wept. Everything was still so raw. She'd cried the entire night and just seeing Anna brought everything back. After a few minutes she gathered herself, wiped the tears from her cheeks, backed out of the driveway and got as far away from their home as she could.

* * *

While Anna sat at home ruminating about everything that had transpired, Elsa was on a mission to undo as much physical and psychological stress as she could from the night before. She was a grown woman and, although devastated, was able to process and comfort herself and keep one foot in front of the other. The baby however, could not. She was more concerned about what such stress could do to a helpless fetus than she was about herself. Thoughts of cortisol levels and long-term effects of exposure to stress were the only things on her mind. Ever the good mother, she devoted the entire morning to taking care of herself and the baby.

First up was a prenatal yoga class.

* * *

After stretching and posing for the better part of a half an hour, Elsa's body began to feel much more relaxed and a sense of calm melted her worries way, for the moment at least.

Tranquil music accompanied the dim lighting of the room as the instructor began the guided meditation part of the class.

"Imagine your baby in the womb. Warm and safe. Imagine their tiny fingers...and their tiny toes. What are they doing? Are they sleeping? Are their eyes open or close? They might even be kicking. Just bring your awareness in."

Elsa's thoughts drifted to the baby, no kicks but there was what felt like a hand running along her lower hip. Possibly baby exploring her surroundings, or maybe simply returning some much needed comfort to her mommy.

"You may be at the stage in pregnancy where the baby cannot only hear your voice, but the voices of people around you. Just imagine what that feels like."

Realizing the instructor meant that in the most positive way, Elsa couldn't help but remember of all the awful things their baby must have heard last night.

 _We give ourselves to each other, entirely. And I have...but have you?_ "

 _Is this what you meant by working on us? By destroying us?_

 _I can't live like this anymore._

Her brows twitched, knitting together as her lips turned down into a frown.

"And let's finish by sending _all_ your love and _all_ your energy down to the life force within you."

Elsa secretly added, _and all my apologies_ , to her own personal meditation. Wracked with guilt that their precious baby was always the innocent bystander in their marriage. All she ever wanted to do was protect her, nourish her, give her everything she deserved and needed for the best chance at life. Not only to be healthy, but it was gravely important to Elsa that her baby know she loved her more than anything before she even took that first breath of life.

After yoga Elsa felt it was still too early to go home and decided to get in a quick swim. Swimming was glorious, simply devine. Yoga was definitely relaxing and rejuvenating but swimming provided the perfect weightless environment to relieve her joints of those nagging pregnancy pains. That and the motion of Elsa's body rocking side to side as she swam always lulled the baby to sleep.

On her way out of the locker room, dreading the thought of heading home to the most awkward and uncomfortable house on their block, Elsa stopped in lobby as she passed by the gym's spa. Standing still at the fork in the road of decisions, go home to Anna or check out the spa, she proceeded with the latter.

"Good morning, welcome to Vista Spa. How can I help you?" A young woman with a slicked back bun chimed.

"Do you do prenatal massages?" Elsa inquired. Never having had one, today seemed like the perfect day to spoil herself and the baby with a spa treatment.

"We do. And it's been really slow this morning. I could fit you in right now if you'd like."

"That would be perfect. Wait, what else can I get done?" _What better place to hide out for the day than in a spa?_

"Pretty much anything you'd like. Everything is organic and non-toxic. Our nail salon doesn't do acrylics or use any harsh chemicals so it's very pregnancy friendly."

"Very nice to know. Can I do the prenatal massage and then a mani pedi?" Elsa cocked one eyebrow as if she were asking for permission more than availability of services.

"Yes, absolutely. Just give me a few moments and we'll take you back for your massage."

After only having to wait a minute or two a massage therapist who introduced herself as Luna promptly took Elsa back to the locker room to prepare for her massage.

The locker room was beyond gorgeous, breathtaking even. The smooth cream colored walls were lined with plush leather recliners separated by sheer white privacy curtains. The inset ceiling was painted to mimic a vibrant midday sky, azure blues with fluffy white clouds looked down upon an intricate bamboo print carpet. A room that for anyone else would have evoked peace and serenity.

Elsa stared at the big blue sky, clutching at the tightness forming in her chest. She knew perfectly well what she was doing. Of course she _really was_ trying to take care of the baby first and foremost but she was also doing exactly what Anna had said she was. She was running. Physically _and_ mentally. She had run out of the house as fast as she could to escape the tension that still loomed over it and of course to avoid having to see Anna. And now she had reverted back to her old ways of pushing her feelings as deep as they would go. But as she looked out at the oasis that was the spa, her thoughts began to catch up with her.

Like a life preserve in a restless ocean, Luna's gentle voiced jolted her from her thoughts to let her know that she was ready for her. Elsa followed Luna down the hallway and into the treatment room. Although much more dimly lit, the treatment room evoked the same celestial mood with its dark sienna walls and nature inspired music pouring from the speakers overhead.

"Any areas in particular you'd like to focus on today?" Luna asked as she folded back the sheets on the message table.

"My lower back, it's been really tight and achy." Elsa turned a bit to point to the exact area on the small of her back.

"And what would you like the goal for today's massage to be? To relax? To work on problem areas? Toxins?"

Elsa's immediate instinct was to say _relax_ but she could sense her emotions from the locker room had carried over and were growing stronger by the minute.

"If I may be honest, and I mean _very_ honest, I had a somewhat upsetting...argument with my wife last night and I have a lot on my mind. I just want to rid my body of as much stress as I can for the baby...and me." She may have been in low spirits, but standing in nothing but a dark brown spa robe, Elsa was ever still the pinnacle of grace and eloquence.

"I should also warn you that I can already feel my hormones are not on my side today and, as embarrassing as this is to say, please ignore me if I happen to cry during this massage." Her request drawing a blushing smile from her face.

"You needn't worry. You would not be the first nor the last mother-to-be that has cried during a prenatal massage. It's very common and crying is a form of stress relief."

A reassuring smile from Luna was all it took to feel more at ease, and frankly less embarrassed.

"I'll give you some time to disrobe and get comfortable on the table. The abdomen and chest areas of the table have been hollowed out to accommodate a pregnant woman's body, so it should feel quite comfortable."

As Luna closed the door Elsa untied the buttery soft microfiber robe, letting it sweep down the length of her porcelain back before placing it on a hook and slipping in between the smooth sheets of the massage table. For the first time in over five month Elsa got to lay on her stomach, something she realised she'd taken for granted and missed so very much this deep into the pregnancy. Settling herself into the face cradle she stared down at the dark wooden floor below and began to fear being left alone with her thoughts for too long, anxiously awaiting Luna's return and provide a much needed distraction.

A moment later Luna returned and dimmed the lights even lower, recreating the feeling of candlelight and leaving Elsa to stare into a black void of space rather than at the hard wood floor she'd been enjoying as it gave her something concrete to focus on.

Devoid of the sense of sight, Elsa's ears perked when she heard Luna pump some heavenly smelling lotion into her hands, slowly working tones of sweet almond and jojoba into the expanse of Elsa's lower back. Luna continued to moved swiftly about Elsa's body, giving attention to her upper back and shoulders, both of which were knotted and tight. Somewhere around twenty minutes into the the hour long massage Elsa began to drift away from the light pressure of Luna's hands and back into her head.

Two things were plaguing her and battling for attention. First was the gut wrenching admission of Anna's actions. Not only did she go through the boxes that Elsa herself hadn't gone through since she came back from Norway over six years ago, with the exception of the krumkake iron, but there was also the somewhat _more_ disturbing idea of Anna searching and paying for information on her own wife and father-in-law. All that was difficult enough to swallow but what had really been the crushing blow that evening was learning about the news of her father.

And she lay against the table in the dark of the room she could only think of how ignorant she had been about the assumptions of life. She'd spent the better part of her adult life trying to rid her body, mind, and soul of her family and everything related to them that she never stopped to think about what would happen when the last grain of sand fell through the hourglass. She felt like a fool for not thinking about how this arrangement would pan out once someone died or how she'd even feel about it. What _would_ it mean if Agdar had died?

Trying to allow one thought or a single question to come through her consciousness was impossible. Once Elsa let herself think about one tiny fraction of the situation the whole thing came undone at the seams. Her mind was too weak, too tired, too exhausted from years of pent up emotions and neglected memories that it could not longer maintain its ability to hold up the barriers.

Luna was beginning to lightly stroke the arches of Elsa's feet when she heard the first cries break free. But just as she said, Luna didn't mind and kept right on working on Elsa's arches.

At the top of the table, Elsa felt like her heart was starting to bleeding as memories from her life flashed by in a personal montague. What if the battle was over? Had she lost or won?

The memories of the man whose very presence made her tremble with fear faded for the briefest of moments and all that was left were the cries of a child who'd been defeated by the hands of time.

 _Father._

She begrudgingly admitted to herself that Anna was right, she needed to take some time to think about everything, to find out what the truth of the matter really was, if she could even summon the courage to do so.

The end of the massage was drawing near and Luna gave Elsa some privacy to slip her robe back on before returning to the locker room.

Lifting herself from the table, Elsa wiped the tears away from her now scarlet cheeks and slipped the robe back around her frame, tying it off just above her baby bump before meeting Luna in the hallway.

"Was everything to your liking today?" Luna asked pleasantly.

"Yes. I did some serious thinking on that table." Giving a small chuckle to herself.

They walked back to the locker room and Elsa said her goodbyes to Luna, who stopped in the doorway on her way out to say one last thing.

"Elsa?"

The blonde looked back over her shoulder.

"Whatever it is, you'll be fine." And with that, Luna disappeared back into the hallway.

* * *

As Elsa was busy moving on to her mani pedi, Anna was also trying to get on with life but had only accomplished nothing more than a shower by noon.

After getting completely ready to go absolutely nowhere, she went back to the guest room to make the bed and tidy up the room. Each time she buzzed back and forth between the guest room and their bedroom Anna had to pass by their elaborate photo wall in the hallway. From floor to ceiling, perfectly placed thick black framed photos from their entire relationship covered the wall. There was one of them at a luau in Hawaii complete with leis, sunkissed cheeks, and mai tais in their hands. A black and white close-up of them blissfully kissing on their wedding day in their exquisite white dresses hung in the center, surrounded by a slew of screensaver worthy photos from their honeymoon in Bora Bora.

 _This is not helping. I gotta get out of here._ She bemoaned to herself.

Anna couldn't take being in their empty home a minute longer. Besides, it's wasn't like Elsa was going to want to talk or even look at her once she eventually did get home. So she went to her phone and called her old standby.

"Merida? I really need someone to talk to. And I really need to get out of this house."

Merida chuckled then sighed on the other end of the line.

"Come over to my place. I'll make you some coffee and we'll talk."

Anna was already on her way out the door before Merida finished her sentence.

* * *

"You know you're the only person I know that has green and blue plaid wallpaper in their kitchen." Anna's eyes surveyed the myriad of lines and stripes that stretched across Merida's walls.

"It's my family's tartan. How do you want your coffee?" Merida asked as she fetched two mugs from her cupboard.

"More sugar and milk than coffee please." Anna murmured dejectedly as she lazily ran her fingers through her bangs, swiveling back and forth on one of Merida's barstools.

"You sure you don't want me to add some Baileys in there? Might make you feel better?" The redhead grinned mischievously as she took up a seat on the stool next to Anna, handing the redhead her cup of overly sweetened coffee.

"No. That got me into trouble last time. Well, not trouble but I don't think Elsa was happy about it."

"Is that what she's mad about?" Raising a russet eyebrown to the redhead.

"Oh my God, how I _wish_ that was the thing she was mad about. Actually, I'm not even sure she's reached mad yet. She just looked...sad. Devastated even."

"What happened?" Merida asked softly.

"I told her. I told her what we talked about but I told her most of _that_ stuff at group and she was fine after. Then she bought me a car and gave me jewelry and I felt so guilty keeping all the other stuff from her. So, I told her. I even told her stuff that I didn't tell you about." Anna stared at her reflection in her mug, disappointed in the person she saw staring back at her.

"You gonna tell me now?"

"I went through her boxes. Which doesn't sound like a big deal but these boxes, they mean a lot to her and if you touch _just one_ she has a panic attack. I mean literally, it's almost happened twice. But the thing about searching her dad...I didn't tell you that I found out he's sick. Or dead. I don't speak Norwegian and Google translate sucks so I have no idea which it is. But I basically told her that her father, whom she hasn't spoken to since their huge falling out six years ago, is either dead or dying."

"Okay first, are you _sure_ you don't want some alcohol in that coffee because what you just said is pretty serious." This time Merida wasn't joking.

"No. I suppose I deserve to wallow in my own misery." Anna lamented as she brought both palms to her forehead, fingers splayed into her copper tresses as she tried to heed off an impending headache.

"Second, I know Elsa is going to need a lot of time to think about this before she's ready to talk to you again. So give her that because you just threw everything and the kitchen sink at the poor lass."

Merida diligently took as sip from her coffee and licked her lips before continuing.

"The other things is, although what you did was a _huge_ breach of trust, what if you hadn't found that article? What if she'd found out years later and it was too late or felt even worse for not knowing that he died sooner? Whichever it is." Wagging a finger back and forth.

"That's what _I_ thought. I thought she'd at least want to know so she could make some decisions if needed. Or know that she's officially free from him. If that's what she wants. I don't even know any more." Anna felt like the more she talked the more she confused herself. At least Merida was making some sense out this debacle.

"She might have wanted to know but let her get over this first before you move onto the real story with her dad. Be strong my fellow redhead. This too shall pass." She chirped as she playfully roughed a section of Anna's hair in a gentle noogie like fashion.

"Thanks."

* * *

The avoidance game continued into the evening as Elsa tucked herself away in her office and Anna vegged out in front of the TV.

Tired of surfing through the endless channels of nonstop reality shows and news, Anna gave in and decided to head up to bed. At the top of the stairs she paused when she heard Elsa's heavenly voice coming from the nursery. She crept as quietly as she could until she was just outside the room, pressing herself against the door frame as she listened in on Elsa singing _Baby Mine_ while rocking in the glider. She _had_ listened to the playlist, she _had_ learned the songs. Anna's slumped down onto the floor and drew her hands to her heart. It hurt, it ached.

 _What have I done?_

She knew they should be in their together, serenading their baby with the same song Anna's mom had sung to her countless times, but never it sounding the same as Elsa's enchanting version.

That voice, it was agony and ecstasy at the same time. Ecstasy as it always took her back to the night she'd fallen in love with that voice, with Elsa. It was probably making their baby fall in love with her at that very moment. And agony because she wasn't a part of it, they weren't sharing the moment together in the way it should have been. The way they had always dreamed it would be. She turned and touched her hand to the wall, wishing it were caressing Elsa's ivory skin instead of the flat cold surface; listening as she shed a tear for what could have been.

* * *

The mattress creaked under her weight as Elsa crept into bed and snuggled into her many pillows. Feet away Anna lay wide awake with a soft gaze fixed on Elsa elegant back, watching the sheets move with the rise and fall of her breathing.

"Elsa?" Anna whimpered, brushing her fingers against the back of Elsa's shoulder, only to recoil her hand when the blonde flinched away.

"Please. Please talk to me." She pleaded, waiting for Elsa to acknowledge her in any way, shape, or form.

"Not now Anna." Elsa's voice was even more despondent that Anna's.

"Then can you please just _look_ at me. Just look at me once so that I know you can still _see_ me." Her voice cracking.

After a few moments and a heavy sigh, Elsa rolled over and Anna looked straight into her eyes. They were filled with sadness, the same sadness Anna had always seen a sliver of only now it was amplified. As much as Anna knew she was hurting, she knew Elsa must have been hurting even more. Without a second thought Anna brought a hand to Elsa's cheek but was again rebuffed.

"I need time."

"Please Elsa, I'm your wife."

"I know. That's why it hurts so bad," Rolling back to face away from Anna with a heavy heart; consumed by sorrow as they fell asleep, backs facing each other. Two broken hearts, one bed.


	22. Chapter 22

As soon as Anna walked through the door she could tell that Elsa had been home before her. The jacket she'd worn to work was casually tossed over the couch and her blueprint holder was leaning against their umbrella stand in the entryway. There was also a bowl in the sink and a box of strawberries missing from the fridge. Even though they weren't exactly on speaking terms, Anna knew Elsa had developed a craving for fruit, especially strawberries as she was now going through a box a day. Her car was also gone so the only pieces Anna had to the puzzle were that Elsa had come home, changed her clothes, ate strawberries, and left the house. _Wonderful_.

In the bedroom there were a few items from Elsa's purse on top of their dresser; she usually did that when she was switching items between purses for the evening. Lipstick, some pennies, a few receipts, hand lotion, and a... _What the hell is this?!_

Amongst the collection of random items was a small stack of business cards.

 _Bennet, Banks, & Arendelle. What the hell?!_

Anna reread the card three times before it finally sank in. Elsa had made partner at her firm and didn't even tell Anna. In fact, she'd been told that morning and surprised with the new cards when Mr. Bennet informed her of the promotion. News of her Dubai success had spread like a wildfire and with 80% of requested designs being for Elsa's work they offered to make her partner. She'd been trying to persuade them for over a year and had finally done it.

Anna didn't know whether to feel outraged or dejected; it completely baffled her that Elsa would shun her to this extent. Fueled with a fire as bright as her hair, she marched over to her own purse and pulled out her phone to settle the matter.

Anna tried to call but Elsa didn't answer.

 _Where are you? You made partner and didn't even tell me?!_

While she waited for Elsa to text back she tore through their bedroom wondering what other secrets she'd been keeping until it dawned on her that this was the exact thing that had gotten her into trouble in the first place. Riffling through Elsa's stuff when she should have had trust and patience instead. She slammed the draw of the nightstand she'd been rummaging through and looked at her hands as if they were dripping with guilt.

Finally Elsa replied.

 _I'm fine, just out._

Anna's thumbs furiously flew across her screen to respond.

 _Don't ignore that other part. Partner?_

 _Yes, I did._

 _Why didn't you tell me?_

But there was no answer.

Somewhere across town at Tiana's house Elsa's phone was dancing across the coffee table as it buzzed from Anna's persistence. Text after text came flooding in but yet she continued to ignore them.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be with Anna celebrating right now?" Tiana asked from her kitchen as she surveyed the inventory in her fridge.

"No, she has a _thing_ at school tonight." Now it was Elsa's turn to lie. And not very well. _A thing? That's convincing._

"Alright well as long as I'm not taking you away from her," pulling out an assortment of cheeses, baguette slices, and her dangerously delicious homemade tapenade.

"I won't offer you wine but I could give you some cranberry juice in a wine glass and we can pretend like it's old times," grinning as she waved two wine glasses in her hands.

"That sounds fantastic."

Elsa was curled up on Tiana's coach, shoes off clutching a decorative pillow like she wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. She wasn't ready to talk to Anna and it was too much to be with her in the same house right now. She needed space, some time to process everything or forget it all together. Either way Tiana didn't know what was going on and Elsa could live in a world of denial for just one evening before having to return to reality.

"Where's Naveen?" Elsa asked. She didn't really care but figured it was polite to ask. She was more than happy to have Tia all to herself.

"Poker night. He won't be coming home until after ten. You know guys and their poker," she drawled with a hint of her southern accent.

"I don't but for the sake of argument let's just say assume I do." Her phone continued to buzz with messages and she finally powered it down with a cringe, knowing it was against her better judgement.

Tiana returned to the living room where Elsa was seated with the tray of food and a wine glass full of cranberry juice for Elsa in her hands.

"This is kind of a personal question but have you ever _been_ with a guy?" Tiana asked as Elsa took a sip from her glass, nearly choking at the question. Most of Tiana's questions tended to be personal, not that it bothered her but they usually caught her off guard.

"Once," Elsa muttered, rolling her eyes at the memory.

"And…" Tiana continued to pry, making a hurry up gesture with her hands.

"And I'm still a lesbian, how do _you_ think it went?" her eyes wide with sarcasm, lashes stretching to the heavens as she gave a little smirk and took another sip.

"I was just curious. I can't imagine you being with anyone else besides Anna."

The irony of Tiana's statement nearly killed her, being that she couldn't even tolerate Anna long enough to be in the same room with her for more than five minutes.

"So tell me, how big is baby this week?" Tiana asked as she picked up a piece of bread and spread a dollop of tapenade on top before taking a crunchy bite.

"The size of a coconut according to the app when I checked a few days ago. Next week is 30 weeks and she'll be the size of a squash."

Thank God it wasn't real wine she was drinking or Elsa would have been drunk five minutes ago at the rate she was sipping on it. She had gone to Tiana's to get away from everything but somehow she felt like it had just followed her right into Tia's living room.

"What's it feel like?" Tiana asked inquisitively.

"Emotionally or physically?" Elsa clarified.

"Both I guess," shrugging her shoulders with a broad southern smile.

"It's funny because I can never really say too much about it in front of Anna but I _really_ love being pregnant. Having her with me all the time feels less lonely, not that I was lonely before. It's hard to explain. I can tell she has her own personality. In meetings she always gets really active like she has something she wants to say. She scrunches up against my ribs and when I try to move her away and she just goes right back in there."

Tiana watched as Elsa's drifted away from the conversation with a dreamy look in her eyes, a smile curling up the sides of her mouth.

"You're _in love_ with your baby."

"Yeah, I am." The smile stretched further and there was no denying it, Elsa _was_ in love with her baby and even with being pregnant.

"Why can't you talk about that stuff with Anna?" confused by Elsa's earlier statement.

Elsa took a deep breath and let out a pensive sigh, thinking how to best answer the question without letting on to the current state of their marriage.

"Well, to be honest...it hasn't been easy to have gone through four rounds of failed in vitro and then watch your wife go through everything you'd been dreaming of since you were a child. I don't say anything because I want to spare her the grief. If I went around all the time talking about how I really felt, openly, that seems like it would be kind of cruel."

"So, you just don't say anything?" Tiana twisted her face in confusion. Something just didn't sound right about that.

"No, I'm just not as...overly vocal about it I supposed." Elsa adjusted herself on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her as she tried to get more comfortable. Even though she was upset with Anna, it still didn't feel right to blame her for Elsa's choice to reserve her comments about how much she loved being pregnant.

"Well, I hope when I'm pregnant I look as good as you. You look exactly the same just with the _suggestion_ of a baby bump in the front. How much weight have you even gained?"

"About twelve pounds. And I think half of that is in my bra alone." Not wanting to be rude by completely ignoring the food, Elsa borrowed the spreading knife from Tiana and helped herself to some tapenade and cheese.

"Can I touch your belly?" Tiana asked shyly, unsure if it was rude to ask a pregnant woman such a thing.

"Yes, and thank you for asking. I had a lady in Starbucks come up and just lay her hands on me without asking the other day." Elsa continued to snack while Tiana rested a hand in the dead center of Elsa's belly.

"She's not kicking but she's here. Can you feel her back? This bump here?" moving her hand along the firm swell of the baby's back.

"Wow! Oh my lord that's her back?" Tiana's mouth dropped open and her brown eyes widened in amazement.

"Mhmm. Back here with her bottom jammed up in my rib, as usual."

Elsa didn't want to make her feel bad but the only people the baby ever moved for were her and Anna, and the few times Dr. Bjorgman had got her to move but that was in a different context. The baby seemed to have a clear understanding of who was and wasn't one of her mommies and she didn't respond to anyone but them.

"When did you two start talking about having kids because Naveen and I still haven't had that conversation and I'm starting to feel my biological clock ticking?" Tiana snapped her fingers to the beat of a ticking clock with a look of impatience etched on her face.

"Well we had the official _'lets start in vitro'_ talk about a year and half ago, so after we'd been married for almost two years. But before that we talked about having a family all the time when we were dating. Anna always said she wanted to have a house with five bedrooms so that she could fill them with kids. And I promised I build her one someday and...here we are." She chuckled to herself before a dull pain ached within her chest. It hurt to think about happier times when they were currently so disconnected.

Elsa thought back to the exact moment she first heard Anna says those very words. It was just after Anna graduated from college and Elsa had whisked her away to a cabin up at the lake to celebrate. Laying out on a secluded beach towards the end of a perfect day, she remembered the two had watched the clouds seamlessly float along in the sky as they dreamed about the future. They had spent the entire afternoon on the blanket talking about their plans for their dream home, their wedding, and of course how many babies they wanted.

"You think you'll have more?" Tiana's voice bringing Elsa back to the conversation.

She wanted to tell Tiana everything that was going on at home but at the same time it felt so good to be able to escape everything that she didn't want one more person, especially a coworker, to know about the rough patch they'd hit.

They had originally agreed on three kids, though it was only a few days ago Anna was ready to load up the back seat with four. Elsa was just worried about their marriage surviving through the first one. How had things gotten so bad so quickly? The baby was still more than two month away from coming and she didn't know how they were going to move past this in time to become the perfect family they'd always envisioned.

"I hope so," Elsa replied wistfully, hoping they'd somehow make it through this baby, though she had no idea how.

* * *

Anna was hunched over her laptop at the breakfast nook scrupulously going over report cards and year end evaluations for her class. With only two weeks left in the school year she was counting down the days till she could take a break and sleep in past six for once in her life before the baby came and she would never get the chance to do so again. The table was littered with messy stacks of papers as Anna worked her way alphabetically down her list of students.

Paperwork and report cards were not Anna's favorite part of being a teacher but she was so grateful to have some actual work with a looming deadline to take her mind off the riff her and Elsa were having.

Just as Anna made it to the halfway point on her list she heard the jingling of Elsa's keys at the front door, again ever so grateful to have something to help her bite her tongue and not fly off the handle at Elsa for not telling her about making partner, which still stung.

Elsa, looking as contrite as ever, quietly walked into the kitchen where she was surprised to find Anna throwing herself into work, just waiting for her to give her the third degree about where she'd been. Anna didn't look up from her screen and kept on clicking away in the uncomfortable silence of the room as Elsa grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before noticing that there was a message on their machine. Even though both women were well aware that not many people used landline phones anymore, Elsa insisted on having one in case of emergencies and cell phone towers were down. That and Anna was always forgetting to charge her cell phone and she never get ahold of her without one.

Elsa walked over to the flashing red number one on the phone's cradle and pressed the button to play the message as she twisted the top off her rather chilly water.

"Hi Arendelles, it's Dr. Kristoff Bjorgman."

From across the kitchen two teal eyes peered over the top of her screen with intrigue.

"Just wanted to remind you to sign up next week for birth classes at the hospital. They fill up fast so don't forget. I emailed you guys the schedule, so the next time I see Elsa please let me know which one you decided on."

Scooting around the table Anna timidly made her way towards Elsa as she listened to the message. She couldn't help but think how funny life was that no matter how mad Elsa was at her, life still moved on and the baby was still coming. There were still a lot of decisions that had to be made and Elsa couldn't hold out forever.

"Anyways, have a nice week you two and I'll see Elsa or both of you next week for the glucose test. Alright, bye."

The dead silence had resumed as Elsa stood on one side of the counter, eyes transfixed on the suddenly interesting sparkly specs of granite, while Anna stood on the other nervously clasping her hand together near her chest. She didn't dare speak first and waited on pins and needles for Elsa to say something. Finally the blonde lifted her head and spoke in strained voice.

"I'll sign up tomorrow," she muttered, grabbing the twist top of her water and headed towards the stairs.

"For which one? There's nine." Anna's voice stopped Elsa in her tracks and she turned back towards the redhead.

"I don't know, I'll look at the schedule tomorrow," she said with a modest shrug.

Anna could see she was going to have to be the one to force the issue, again. It was quickly becoming her trademark talent, forcing Elsa to engage in matters she was reluctant to discuss.

"I know you don't want to talk to me but we still have to talk about certain things in order to make parental decisions. Whether you like it or not this is a something that we should talk about together."

Elsa put the cap back on her water and placed her hands flush along the small of her back to give it a little extra support, the arch making her look slightly more rotund.

"Fine. Let's pick a class and then I'm going to get ready for bed."

Anna fetched her laptop from the table and set it on the counter as she brought up the schedule attached to Dr. Bjorgman's email.

"Which one did you have in mind?" Anna asked as she scanned the color coded spreadsheet.

"The natural birth one," Elsa replied without hesitation.

"Hold on. You mean like without an epidural? Without _drugs_?" Anna's eyebrows rose so high they disappeared into her bangs, possibly into her hairline all together.

"Yes. That _exact_ one," Elsa reaffirmed with a stiff nod.

"You realize you could be in labor for like seventeen hours right? You're gonna go through one of the most painful experiences known to mankind, rather womankind, without _drugs_?"

"Yes," she restated firmly. It was quickly becoming clear to Anna that Elsa had put quite a bit of thought into her birth plan and was dead set on a natural birth.

"You _also_ realize that it will be _me_ who helps through the entire process of not _losing your head_ because of the, and I stress again, _massive amounts of extraordinary pain_ you will endure for hours on end?" By this point Anna's hands were conducting an orchestra of hand gestures that only seemed to emphasize the passion in her rising tone even more.

"I do," Elsa said with a blink and a purse of her lips.

"Dear lord there aren't enough support groups in the world to get me through this birth," she mumbled to herself, throwing her hands up in defeat at Elsa's stubbornness.

"There's one there." Elsa pointed to the schedule on the screen. "Saturdays at 10am. Are we done then?" She remarked somewhat curtly, rapidly becoming frustrated with Anna's attempts to pull her into a heated debate about birth plans. Granted it was _their_ baby, which meant she had a least half a say in the matter, but it was also _her_ body. Also, Anna wasn't exactly her favorite person to talk to at the moment but that went without saying.

"Not with that attitude we're not. Look, I'll sign us up for Saturdays at 10am, so that issue is closed. But speaking of baby, (deep breath) I don't care how mad or sad you are right now, well I mean I do but...anyways, please do _not_ turn off your phone when you are carrying _our_ child. I know you turned it off while you were out because it _suddenly_ kept going to voicemail."

Wrought with sudden guilt Elsa could do nothing but take everything Anna had to say because she was absolutely right. She even knew she wasn't doing the right thing when she turned it off in the first place but it was the only way to get some space from Anna.

"It scares me to _death_ to think that something could happen to you and you wouldn't be able to call for help fast enough. Okay?" Anna tried to soften her tone towards the end as she was starting to feel like a parent scolding a child. It was the teacher side of her mixed with a new overprotectiveness she acquired on the road to becoming a mom that was coming out.

On the other side of the counter Elsa's guilt turned into a sharp pain near her heart, completely understanding why Anna would be more fearful of something happening to her being that she had lost her parents to a sudden and horrific accident. Her body relaxed a bit and she dropped her defensive stance.

"I apologize and I won't do it again. But please don't keep calling me and hounding me when I'm trying to get a break from all of this," waving a hand about as if gesturing to some intangible representation of the current strain on their marriage.

"Is there anything else or was there more you wanted to say to me?" She tried to say that in politest was she could at the moment but it still hit a nerve with Anna.

"What _I_ want to do is talk about the enormous elephant in the room and ask just how long you plan on avoiding me and staying mad at me? You know that I'm sorry and if I have to apologize every day for the rest of my life I will. But this has to end at some point because we have a _baby_ coming, I'm sure you remember, and we have to figure out a way to communicate in our daily lives without turning phones off and avoiding each other like this."

Anna felt like she'd said way more than she planned but mentally patted herself on the back for at least staying on point.

"I don't know. Until it stops hurting." Elsa shifted her weight from one foot to the other and folded her arms across her chest, resuming her standoffish pose and growing impatient with Anna's interrogation. That and her feet were starting to hurt from standing in one spot for so long.

"I'll admit I made a mistake but I don't know if I can go off that kind of timeline with what we've got coming down the line," Anna replied with a sense of urgency in her voice.

" _A_ mistake. I think you've made a _series_ of mistakes, no, relationship fraying decisions that have cut me to my core, and I don't think you realize the complete lack of trust I have in you right now. That has to be rebuilt and earned back over time." Her voiced cracked midway through her sentence and she struggled not to lose it all right there in the kitchen, being ever so grateful the baby felt like she was sleeping and hopefully not absorbing everything being said.

"Elsa, I hate to be the one to keep reminding you of this, as I'm sure you know, we have _eleven weeks_ before this baby comes and you and I cannot continue like this much longer." Elsa tilted her head away and pursed her lips again, keeping Anna waiting in silence before looking back into her wide teal eyes with a wounded look.

"Maybe you should have thought about that when I was in Dubai."

It killed Elsa to think that while she was pining for Anna the entire time she was gone, Anna was doing nothing but indulging in her selfish curiosities. She thought back to when she'd talked to Anna the night she was at her client's party. It was now crystal clear to her why Anna had gone out and had one too many drinks, obviously trying to cope with her lapse in judgment, presumably, and forgot to Skype with her the next morning.

Anna thickly swallowed her pride and couldn't deny the truth of Elsa's statement.

"You're right. I should have. We've both played a part in this whole thing. Yes, I pried and broke your trust but you also hid things from me for our entire relationship. When I met you, you didn't want to tell me anything. You didn't want to talk about it and I respected that. But we got engaged, got married, got pregnant and even in this very moment I have no idea what it is you're keeping from me. That is so hurtful to me."

Elsa could only pathetically nod her head in agreement. It was difficult to look beyond her own pain but at the same time she realized she'd also made selfish and hurtful decisions in the past too, even if her intentions had been pure.

"Up until you got pregnant I only knew a handful of things about your life before me. You know everything about me, from birth until now. And I didn't care in the beginning because-"

Anna was trying not cry as her anger dissipated somewhere in the middle of what she was saying and gave way to a bittersweet sadness as she reflected back on her feelings in their early days together.

"- because I loved you so much...that I didn't care about what had happened in your past or that you didn't want to tell me. I wanted to be with you no matter what, flaws and all and if that meant you were never going to talk about it then that's what I accepted. And when it finally did start to bother me...my parents died I was consumed with that. Almost seven years and I'm not much further from where I started. Can you understand how that must feel?"

"I understand." Elsa returned her focus to the counter and the only thing Anna could see was the shimmering violet shadow on her eyelids. Buried in the weight of her own guilt, she couldn't even look Anna in the eye. They'd both been wounded in this whole thing and it went far beyond what happened the other night.

"I love you, very much and even if you won't say it to me now... I know that you love me too."

Three words that should have been so simple to say were suddenly the most difficult. Elsa's heart kept screaming at her to tell Anna she loved her but her mouth refuse to cooperate. Too many times people had told Elsa that they loved her only to burn her in the end. Just then when Anna said she loved her, still emotionally bruised from Anna's betrayal, Elsa heard the voices of all those other people she'd lost faith in saying it right along with Anna in cadence. Why did love have to hurt so bad?

"Elsa, I know you and I know you won't say it right now and it's okay. I have to finish working so, I won't keep you any longer."

Sliding a hand off the counter Anna turned and went back to the nook to finish her work, glancing back at Elsa out of the corner of her eye.

She was still standing at the counter, biting her bottom lip so hard she thought she may draw blood; eyes squeezed shut as the war within herself raged on. Wanting so badly to say she loved Anna and being unable to made her feel like the worst person ever. Unable to say anything, she surrendered and headed towards the stairs to get ready for bed.

"Oh and Elsa…"

The blonde took a few steps back into the kitchen.

"...congratulations on making partner." Anna had been careful to speak in a way that only conveyed her deepest sincerity, flashing a warm smile to Elsa.

Something happened in Elsa's chest and she felt like it was going to burst, quickly nodding before hurrying up to their room.

As soon as got there she shut the door and in an instant, the brave veneer she'd forced herself to don broke like a shattering pane of glass. Her back slumped against the door with a thud and she let her eyes slowly close; lips pouting into a deep frown as she felt a cry forming in the back of her throat. Her pain collided with guilt and the feeling was so great she could hardly breathe. It gripped at her chest, forcing the cry from her lips as she slid down against the door and sat on ground.

A voice in her head kept asking how she could have acted in such away; her sorrow blinding her to the consequences of her actions. To not tell Anna about the promotion, to turn her phone off knowing full well that Anna freaked out when she couldn't get a hold of people, all of it...it wasn't like her to do such things. This whole dispute had made her abandon her morals and act out of spite and bitterness, even if she told herself that it had been to get space it didn't take away from the fact that it wasn't right.

The questions continued to bombard her fragile psyche. What kind of wife doesn't tell her spouse about their childhood, or gets married fully aware that they know so little of about who they are as a whole? _Seven years,_ she said to herself. How much longer was she going to let this go on?

She was lost. Lost in a vortex of her own emotions that were now running rampant and taking over. She'd never been given the tools to cope, never given the chance to understand her feelings, which was why she now found herself unable to control what she'd try to deny and hide for so many years. But what hurt the most was that she was missing the one person by her side who had always gotten her through everything, always told her to never give up and kept her going. How was she ever going to get past this without Anna?

* * *

The conversation in the kitchen had been unpleasant but it was no rival to the awkwardness they felt in the bedroom. Anna lay on her side of the bed desperately wanting to cuddle with Elsa. Even if she was mad at her she still longed to comfort her, knowing she was hurting and doing so alone was almost unbearable for Anna.

Elsa wouldn't even let their feet touch and in the past, no matter what, Elsa had always let their feet touch at night. She'd give Elsa her space and stay on her side of the bed but a wandering foot would slither and glide its way under the sheets to find Elsa's, gently touching her icy toes and rubbing the arch of her foot. Just a simple way to say _I'm mad but I still love you_. But now Anna's foot was met with a dismissive flinch of Elsa's feet and they'd retreat further away.

As depressing as it was, Elsa was used to having to grit through her emotions on her own. She didn't grow up with emotionally available parents and she was an only child; turning inward and imploring self-comfort was second nature to her.

Assuming Elsa was already fast asleep Anna was hoping to spend some quality tummy time with the baby, having been deprived of any baby time for the past two days. She scootched over to the other side, trying to be a sly as possible and not wake Elsa up or the whole thing would be over before it started. Pausing for a moment, she heard the reassuring sound of Elsa's deep breathing and continued to reach a hand around Elsa's hip and press against her belly.

Unbeknownst to Anna, Elsa was wide awake suffering from the woes of pregnancy pains and had been too uncomfortable to fall asleep.

"Anna, please don't," she asked softly, moving away from Anna's hand.

"I just wanted to feel the baby." Heartbroken, Anna had already slid back over to her side of the bed.

"I know but not now, please."

"Elsa I know you're mad at me but _please_ don't keep me from my daughter." Anna was on the verge of tears and her voice trembled.

Elsa felt like villain. Being mad at your spouse while pregnant was completely different. Wanting her distance unfortunately meant keeping the baby from Anna as well. The trust between them may have been fractured but denying her time with the baby just wasn't fair to Anna. It was an early lesson in parenting that doing the right thing for her child meant putting baby's needs before her own. It was physically impossible to give Anna access to the baby and turn away at the same time so she begrudgingly rolled over and lifted up her shirt, immediately closing her eyes and tucking her hands back under her head to sleep, or at least act like it.

Anna hesitantly reached out with one hand, excited to reconnect with baby and even a little thrilled that touching Elsa was part of the deal. She gently rested a hand next to a dip near Elsa's hip where she usually felt the most kicks, but there was nothing. After a minute Anna moved lower and waited again, still nothing. Without opening her eyes Elsa lifted Anna's hand and brought it up just under her ribcage where the baby was indeed kicking.

"Thank you," Anna whispered to a responseless Elsa.

The biggest smile came over her face and a warmth spread through her chest, closing her eyes and just enjoying their time together. After a few minutes the kicks got softer and stopped all together. Sad that the moment was fleeting, she could have held her hand their all night, she pulled her hand away and the smile fell from her face.

"Just push," Elsa murmured half asleep.

"What?"

"Push where she kicked last."

Anna brought her hand back and pushed just as Elsa had said. Sure enough a kick fired back at her with more force than before and Anna gasped and giggled in delight. It was like some sort of cool party trick.

 _I push and she kicks back. Awesome!_

Soon Anna got creative with it and pushed in opposite spots, alternating as the baby kicked one spot and then the other; making her mommy giggle even more.

Still awake, Elsa found herself in the awkward position of having a front row seat to Anna and the baby's bonding time, made even more uncomfortable by the fact that she wanted nothing more than to just be alone. However there was something heartwarming about the way they played. Elsa was playful but in a more gentle and sassy way. Anna had more energy and was therefore more physical and, of course, feisty.

Elsa played this push kick game with the baby but only Anna was able to get the baby to move so quickly, as if she too was giggling on the inside. This baby wasn't even born and she already seemed to know that one mommy was soft and nurturing while the other was fun and outgoing. Elsa listened in as Anna was now commentating their playtime.

"I'm over here. Nope, now I'm over here. Catch mommy!" she teased, pushing her fingers in different spots.

Eventually the baby tired and started to settle down as she nuzzled up against Elsa's ribcage, making it all the more difficult for Elsa to breathe but at least the baby was comfy.

"Goodnight, I love you." Anna leaned in a laid a soft kiss over where the baby had settled; quickly pulling back when she realized she'd also just kissed Elsa.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay."

Elsa had rolled back over and Anna admired her moonlit skin, tracing her curves with her eyes until she couldn't keep them open any longer and drifted off to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

A week had gone by. This has now gone on for over an entire week and Elsa still hadn't said more than a few sentences to Anna after their talk in the kitchen. She was going into work early and staying late in the evenings. They hadn't shared more than a few meals together since Elsa had _spontaneously_ decided to eat dinner at the Whole Foods next to her gym on four occasions.

After five days Anna was terrified. They'd never been through anything like this. They'd had fights but never had Elsa gone days without so much as talking to Anna and down right avoiding her. She completely understood why Elsa was upset. Yes, she'd hurt her, betrayed her trust, rocked their marriage even. On top of the fact that her father was probably dead or dying half a world away didn't make things any better. But to not talk for over a week was torture for Anna, a punishment she didn't, well maybe she did, deserve. In seven days they hadn't touched, hadn't kissed, didn't hug outside of Elsa letting Anna have time with the baby. But there was no talking about the baby, no squealing over the joys of hiccups or kicks, nothing. Nothing accept for a few brief conversations, one being about the infernal cable bill and nothing more. Something had to give, something had to break.

Elsa stepped off the elevator in a rather eye catching coral cap sleeve dress, hoping the bright summer color would project a mood she most certainly didn't embody herself. Click-clacking her way down the hall she was joined by Tiana who swooped in next to her on the way to Elsa's new office.

"Good morning Tia." Elsa gave a soft smile, which was about all she could manage.

"What did Anna do now?"

"What do you mean?" stopping in the middle of the hallway, befuddled as to how Tiana even knew Anna had _indeed_ done something in the first place.

"Go look at your office then come tell me what's going on, will you?" She parted from Elsa and returned to her desk, watching the blonde from a distance with a worried look on her face.

When Elsa pushed the door open, her eyes were met with the glorious sight of an entire room filled with countless vases of flowers, all various shades of pink. Deep crimson lilies, cotton candy colored roses, fuchsia daisies, bright magenta orchids; Anna had practically bought every pink flower in the entire metropolitan area and had it delivered to Elsa's office. A small vase of blushing peonies perched atop a side table against the back window held a card with Elsa's name on it. Before she could reach for it Tiana's voice stole her attention.

"Elsa. Do you want to talk about it?" her voice sounding a bit concerned. Judging by the number of flowers and Elsa's recent moods she assumed it must be pretty serious.

Back turned to Tiana, the only thing she could see was the waggle of Elsa's platinum plait as she shook her head no and held back a sob.

"That bad, huh? Let me know if you need me to push your ten o'clock back or arrange for you to leave early today." With that she gently closed the door behind her and gave Elsa some privacy.

With her eyes still fixed on the vase, she plucked the card from the resplendent blooms and slipped it from its envelope.

 _Please forgive me._

 _-Anna_

A heavy breath fogged against the window as she turned to take a seat at her desk, setting the card aside. For a moment she sat in silence; thinking, contemplating, and then frightened by the very thought of what she was about to do. After a few calming breaths Elsa reached for the phone, her hand suspended motionless for a brief second before finally picking it up. She didn't need to look up the number. She knew it. She'd always known it. All thirteen digits. The sound of beeps instead of rings bringing her mind back to her childhood home, thinking how it must be near supper time there now.

 _What am I doing?_

"Arendelle residence."

Her heart felt like it was going to stop as she suddenly pressed herself to speak.

"Kai?" her voice trembled.

"Miss Elsa."

There a long pause, Elsa cupped her hand over her mouth and pushed the roar of emotions back with a hard swallow.

"It's been a long time Miss Elsa." Kai's voice was loving and warm, as if no time at all had passed.

Elsa released her hand to reveal a blushing smile.

"It's missus now actually."

She could her a warm and hearty chuckle on the other end.

"Congratulations my dear."

Another long pause but this time she simply smiled and reflected on Kai's words before remembering why she'd called in the first place.

"Kai...is he...is he…" unable to find the strength within herself to finish the question.

"Alive. He's alive. But gravely ill I'm afraid."

"How did you know I was going to ask that?"

"I know you very well my dear. Ever since you were a small girl. Of all the Arendelles, your heart has always been the biggest."

The hand returned to her mouth and she closed her eyes, happily letting Kai's words wash over her.

"Kai. I'm having a baby."

"I have no doubt you'll make a wonderful mother. A lucky baby indeed."

A grin stretched up from the corners of her mouth. He was such a sweet man and he'd always been good to her.

"It's so good to hear your voice," Elsa gushed.

"He talks of you. Things have not been the same since your absence." Elsa stiffened her back and the gaiety of the moment quickly faded.

"Please don't tell him I called or that I spoke with you," she pleaded, though it wasn't necessary to do so with Kai.

"As you wish Mrs. Elsa."

"Thank you, for everything."

"My pleasure."

* * *

Elsa did end up leaving early that day. There was too much going on in her head to focus on projects and budgets or whatever else she had planned for that day. She'd just made partner and had a construction date set for one of Dubai's tallest buildings, she could afford to take off early.

When she returned home the house was quiet. It had been too quiet the past week. _A home that's soon to welcome a baby should be more joyous than this_ , she thought. With her arms folded, a hand cradling each elbow, she walked through house and realized how the energy had changed. Their home had been filled with such beautiful memories and now it felt broken. Everywhere she turned there were remnants of happier times. Just walking through the front door reminded her of when she carried Anna over the threshold when the house was completed. Not far away was the bowed window of their living room where the Christmas tree went up every year and Anna always made them wear Santa hats while they opened gifts. Every corner, every room, every step in the staircase told a story and she wasn't ready to let it be over. She had every right to stay mad but in the end, no matter how long she carried on she was faced with the same two decisions; make it work or end it. The thought of leaving Anna was so abhorrent that it made her curl her lip and wrinkle her nose in disgust. That was never an option, she'd never leave Anna. So she had to make it work.

 _Enough is enough_ , she thought. It was hurting her and Anna more to keep her feelings locked away than it was for her to just face her past and let Anna in once and for all. Anna had pushed her, lied to her but Elsa had kept a part of herself from her; driving Anna to do what she did. She didn't have to tell her everything, there simply wasn't enough time and Elsa couldn't emotionally survive something that intense.

After changing out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable, she made her way downstairs and headed towards the basement. If she was going to share everything with Anna, she was going to have to break down the barriers she'd placed around herself. And she'd have to do it alone.

Her hand froze as it reached for the knob, unsure if she had the courage to turn it.

 _You can do this._

She glanced down at her belly and ran a hand over the swell as she closed her eyes.

 _I can do this...for you. For all of us._

This wasn't just for her and Anna, this was for her family. Her chance to make things right and be the mother and family she'd always wished she had. Standing between her and that dream was the solid white wooden door staring back at her.

A few steady breaths and she opened the door, proud of her simple achievement. She tiptoed down the stairs and hesitantly approached the boxes, hands shaking as she reached out to take hold of one and place it on the floor. She looked at her watch, two hours until Anna came home. Two hours to relive a forgotten past, to purge to the pain, and to free herself once and for all.

She pried off the top of the box and found a small stack of drawings. Drawings from all the way back from when she was very small to ones she'd done just before she left for college. She held up a piece of thick construction paper with chunky crayon scribbles on it. An early attempt to draw the view from outside her bedroom window. Birds, trees, flowers; nature at its best. She flipped through the stack and towards the back were more intricate graphite drawings of the ever expanding skyline of Oslo.

Two completely different pictures made by almost two completely different people. The innocent marking of a child were from a much happier time. A time when she was too young to understand the life her father had planned for her and he hadn't begun to push it on her yet. Then there were the impressive sketches of an eighteen year old that captured the complete demoralization she'd suffered over the years. A tear ran down her cheek as she remembered sitting outside the law school at the University of Oslo and drawing the very lines she held before her. She had a mischievous grin on her face that day, knowing she'd never set foot inside a lecture room at the university because she was weeks away from leaving for the states to attend school there instead. The elation she had felt knowing she was getting so far away from him to start a life of her own was immeasurable. And here she was, a grown woman, still stuck in the past and living in fear.

It took over an hour, but Elsa diligently willed herself to go through as many boxes and hold as many items as she could, keeping in mind that she was doing this for her _and_ her family. Her baby and her family were worth more than anything to her. She cried, she shook, and there were even some smiles, but after the third box she couldn't take anymore and she decided to stop.

Three o'clock was drawing near and Elsa began to ready herself for when Anna got home. As unfortunate as the timing of recent events was, it didn't deter Elsa from doing everything she could to protect her baby for what Elsa felt like was going into an emotional battle. She made sure the entire afternoon to keep her sugar intake to a minimum to help keep the baby's activity levels down and had a light snack before rocking in the glider; the combination of which she found kept the baby peacefully sleeping for a good amount of time. One day their daughter would learn everything she was about to divulge to Anna and even though she was still in the womb, Elsa didn't want her overhearing one word of what was going to be said or absorbing any of the array of emotions she'd be experiencing later.

After two avocados, a cheese stick, and a handful of almonds it was time for a rendition of Billy Joel's _Goodnight, My Angel_ in the glider. After that the baby was completely asleep and Elsa went out to the patio to enjoy some fresh air before Anna came home.

At 3:07 Anna walked in the door with an armful of files and a laptop case over her shoulder, surprised to have seen Elsa's car in the driveway so early. After setting her things down on the couch she roamed about the house to see what Elsa was up to, only to be further surprised by the flower arrangements Elsa had brought home from work spread out on their dining room table. If Elsa had taken the time to load them into her car, bring them home, and neatly arrange them on the table, that was definitely a good sign. Anna cheerfully smiled at her good deed.

Eager to see if she'd made any leadway with her grand gesture, she continued to search the house until she found the opened french doors leading out to the patio where the blonde was swaying back and forth in the patio swing.

Something had changed but Anna couldn't quite put her finger on it. Sitting in the swing Elsa looked much more relaxed, still somber but her eyebrows had returned to their normal position and her body wasn't as rigid as it had been the past week.

Elsa looked up when she heard Anna's footsteps stop just off to the side of the swing, hands neatly folded in front of her as she nervously waited for Elsa to notice her.

"You're home."

"Yeah. I see you got the flowers," Anna said, taking a small step closer.

A slight smile tugged at Elsa's lips and she nodded.

"They're beautiful," pausing for a moment. "Pink for girl?" Elsa asked, referencing the hue that had enveloped her office that morning.

"Of course." Anna smiled back, which made Elsa smile even more as she rested her hands on her belly.

"Will you join me?" Elsa motioned with her head to the empty space next to her on the swing. Trying not to look overly anxious, Anna restrained herself from skipping and instead managed to slowly walk over and sit on the swing, the very edge of it as she was still apprehensive about invading Elsa's space or upsetting her in any way. They'd only been talking for just a few minutes but this was already the most progress they'd made all week and Anna didn't want to blow it, again.

The redhead couldn't help but feel like she didn't know what to do with herself. She was chewing on her bottom lip, keeping her eyes on the intricate fiddling her hands were doing down in her lap when Elsa's hand gently reached out and calmly smoothed Anna's hands out onto her lap, as if to let her know she didn't need to be nervous.

Their eyes met and Anna was elated and scared at the same time. This moment was already so good and it gave her hope that things might be turning around. At the same time she had the awful sense of dread that it could end at any minute and things could fall apart again.

"I've done a lot of thinking today and I think we should talk," Elsa said with a serious expression.

The jovial smile that had graced Anna's face fell in a heartbeat at Elsa's words. _I think we should talk_ was a death sentence for relationships. A tiny squeak came from somewhere inside Anna's lythe frame as she cupped her hand over her mouth, fearing the worst.

"No, no. Not _that_ kind of talk." Elsa quickly backtracked, not meaning for her words to come across that way; taking Anna's left hand and soothing it with the caress of her slender fingers. A thumb made tiny circles over the bands on Anna's ring finger, tracing around the diamond solitaire she'd placed there so long ago.

"I said forever and I meant it. I'm not leaving you so please put that thought out of your mind."

Anna was so relieved she let out a huge breath and allowed her heart to continue beating. Even though it was good news she still felt like crying, her nerves were shot after a week of this dance.

"What I meant was...that I'm ready to talk about whatever it is you want to know. About me, my father, anything you want. I've been hurting so bad this past week and I don't think it can get much worse than this, so I want to do this for us, for all of us." She took Anna's hand and placed it against her stomach, laying her own on top.

"Okay." Anna whispered.

"Can we go inside and talk?" Tired of dragging out the anticipation, Elsa was ready to get this over with. It may have seemed like she was more eager than Anna for the conversation to actually happen but she was terrified. Having suffocated her feelings for so long she had no idea what was going to come about once she let everything go. She was about to tell Anna things she'd never told another soul. The unpredictableness of the evening had been gnawing at her all afternoon and now that they were walking into the living room, Elsa could feel her heart starting to race as the gravity of the situation began to set in.

Two couches faced each other with a chair on one end in an open U formation. Anna took off her flats and tucked her legs under herself, getting as comfortable as possible knowing this could go on late into the evening at worst.

Needing her space, Elsa sat in the lone chair perpendicular to where Anna sat, close enough to feel connected but far enough away that Elsa felt comfortable. There was a certain bubble of personal space that she seemed to require. She herself, alone, had lived and suffered through everything they were about to talk about and she alone was going to tell the story.

Elsa took a deep breath and smoothed a hand over her forehead, shifting some loose bangs into place along the path of her braid.

"I'm not going to be able to talk about everything tonight. A lifetime of memories simply cannot be covered in a single night and I don't have the strength for that either. What I'm hoping to do is to give you an idea of what it is you want to know. And I hope that from here on out it will make it easier to discuss this in the future."

Anna shot the blonde a perplexed looked, confused as to why she was speaking in such a blunt manner. This was supposed to be a heartfelt conversation between two people who loved each other.

"Elsa this isn't a business meeting. We're not negotiating your feelings here. You don't _have_ to do this if you don't want to. I can see you're already scared." And she was, without a doubt. Her hands were beginning to tremble and her body kept shivering as if she were cold, tiny white blonde hairs were standing on end all the way down her arms in a translucent stretch of goosebumps. She swallowed thickly and when she parted her lips to speak they trembled with a wave of fear that surged through her body.

"I'm terrified. I don't know what's going to happen, how I'm going to feel, or what's even going to come of this. It's a huge leap of faith," Elsa shuttered.

"It's not a leap of faith if you know I'm alway going to catch you."

Sometimes Anna said the most perfect thing that could silence Elsa's fears. Like a rock she cast away any qualms Elsa still had running through her body. She glanced up at Anna's blue-green eyes and like an anchor, they were her safe haven from the Maelstrom swirling inside of her.

"Together remember? I won't let anything bad happen. If I have to hold you the rest of the night, dry every tear, whatever you need...I will be right here." Anna's eyes further comforting Elsa and, as always, she got the strength she needed from Anna. She _could_ do this, together. Just as Anna said.

"I'm okay. I can do this. I _want_ to do this," still trying to convince herself.

Elsa took a few deep breaths, slowly inhaling and exhaling and she could feel her courage getting greater.

"I don't know really where to begin, so rather than going over every detail of my entire life I guess I'll just let you ask whatever it is you want to know."

Anna thought hard for a moment about what she wanted to ask. There were a million questions running through her mind and she knew she didn't have the luxury to ask them all. Trying to whittle her questions down she suddenly knew exactly which direction she wanted to go in. If she only had one shot at this, she was going to go straight to the heart of the matter.

"I _could_ ask why you didn't want to take over the company. Why you never talk about your parents. Or why you never tell me the full story behind that necklace you wear so often. But I have a feeling that won't explain the pain you've kept buried deep inside all these years."

Elsa rested her clammy hands flush against her knees, feeling them stick to the fabric of her leggings as she reflected on what Anna had said.

"Well, all that is part of it I suppose."

"But your father...it's him isn't it? The one who caused all this."

Elsa blinked and her eyes widened slightly at the mention of _him_. Anna had gone straight to the core of Elsa's fears, her body tensing in reaction as she looked away.

"Was there _ever_ a time when you felt happy around him? Was is always bad?" Anna didn't know much but she was smart enough to know that their relationship had been a tumultuous one. She inched closer to the end the couch, closer to Elsa and leaned against the arm of the chair, anxiously awaiting the answer.

"When I was little, maybe five or six." Elsa took a sharp breath, she had expected Anna to ask about her father, but not about the happier times. It was an emotion that caught her off guard, taking her back to the furthest recesses of her mind.

Seeing Elsa's reaction, Anna reached out to her but she waved her off, wanting to continue on her own.

"This is too much for you Elsa," realizing this probably wasn't such a good idea.

"No, it's okay. He was different back then. I...actually looked up to him. That's sounds so strange to say but I didn't know any better at the time. He was handsome and smart and ran an entire company, people depended on him. I was in awe. You know how most little girls look up to their dads. But that all changed when I started school."

"Why?"

"Because it was the starting point to follow in his footsteps. From then on everything became about the company and I was his pupil."

As she continued her features relaxed and she began to speak as if she'd detached from a part of herself.

"I didn't even leave my home to go to school. He had to have complete control over everything. Every aspect of my life. And there was something inside of me that knew I wasn't meant for that. I wanted to pursue so many other things but...he wouldn't allow it. I never felt like I fit into my family. My parents are both so linear and I was always the creative one. They just never understood me."

Anna just listened, enamored with the grace and calm in which Elsa spoke.

"I wanted him to accept me for who I was so badly. For what _my_ heart wanted, not his. Finally, I gave up on myself. I did what he wanted and tried to be who he wanted me to be. I dressed the part, I went to the office. I did everything to the best of my abilities. But that didn't make him happy either. It just made him not be so furious at me all the time. But there was never love or affection. No hugs, ever. My parents said they loved me but it rang so hollow. How could you do this to do this to someone you love?"

Anna shuttered at the thought of what _this_ could possibly mean. What had her parents in fact done?

"Elsa, did he ever hurt you?" Anna's voice was hauntingly weak. She wanted to ask but feared the answer.

"Physically, no. He almost did a few times, though I never knew what stopped him."

Elsa paused and glanced down to the floor.

"I want to show you something." Elsa had brought up one of the boxes from the basement and placed it next to the chair. She reached in and pulled out the drawings she'd been looking at earlier in the day and handed them to Anna.

"Here. These are mine. Some from when I was little and the more advanced ones are from when I was around eighteen. From an early age I practiced drawing every day and by the time I was almost ready to leave for school I had filled countess sketchbooks and even built up an impressive portfolio for college."

Anna lovingly looked through the drawings, handling each one with care as her eyes panned across the pages.

"These are so beautiful. I wish we had more of them." She handed the drawings back to Elsa and she placed them back in the box.

"These are the only ones that exist, that remain rather."

The stillness in Elsa's voice sent a chill down Anna's spine.

"What do mean _remain_?"

"When I was seventeen I went to a lecture at the National Museum of Architecture in downtown Oslo. There was a really well known Norwegian architect speaking that night and I was dying to go, and I did. It started before my father got home from work and so I only told my mother where I was going, not knowing my father was bringing some prominent business associates home that night to meet me and establish my presence within the company over dinner. I didn't remember until later that he had said something about it earlier in the week but I was so excited about the lecture that I forgot."

Elsa paused and sat back in the chair, shifting her gaze away from Anna.

"When I got home he was livid. Furious not only for missing the dinner but also at what I had missed the dinner for. He was angry and scolded me, threatened, berated, and verbally accosted me, which wasn't anything new. Except this time he made me follow him into the library. The library has this enormous fireplace in it, probably three times the size of a normal one. And he pushed me until I was standing in front it...and it was filled with every drawing I had ever done. Every sketchbook, every painting, all of it. Including my portfolios for school. And I watched as he soaked them with kerosene…and they were burnt."

"He burnt your drawings?" Anna's face turned to stone and Elsa brought her eyes back to meet Anna's.

"No. He made me do it. After the kerosine he handed me a box of matches and made me light the fire. My hands were shaking so bad it took me several times to strike the match properly before I tossed it into the fire place. There was so much starter fluid that it instantly went up in a blaze. And when I turned away in horror, he physically turned me back around and forced me to watch. ' _You brought this on yourself,'_ he said.

"Holy God, Elsa."

"My father, he ruled with an iron first. And as awful as the library incident is, it's the tip of the iceberg for him. Every day of my life I was insulted, always told what a disappointment I was, what a waste I was. How I'd never be able to measure up to him or his expectations. He was so critical of everything I did. And what I loved most, what inspired me in life...was a threat to his vision. Everyday I sank deeper and deeper into a black pool of depression, until I was this shell of a person."

"What happened before you left, for good?"

Elsa shifted in her chair and pulled herself from the darker memories her mind had just traveled to.

"I made a plan to escape, seeing as how he was never to going to see things my way, and after I graduated and got a job, I got my own apartment, the one I lived when we met. I had everything I needed so that he didn't have any power over me. He couldn't threaten me and couldn't take anything away from me if I provided it for myself. In short, I flew home and told him I wasn't taking over the company and that he had to accept me for who I was. He refused and told me never to come back."

She looked at Anna, her bottom lip had jutted out and was quivering, her narrowing eyes welled with tears. She couldn't stop picturing it. Picturing _her_ being treated and talked to that way. Year after year her father chipped away at Elsa's self-esteem, forbidding her to express any part of her true self. She couldn't imagine it. A defenseless Elsa being tormented by his anger and abusive words day in and day out.

It was taking every ounce of strength for Anna to keep listening and she had no idea how Elsa was able to even have enough strength herself to say the awful things she was saying. Everything began to fall into place and make sense. As the pieces to the puzzle began to fill in, it told the most tragic tale; one that Anna could never have imagined nor fathomed. For all the times Anna had pressed Elsa, she now understood why she had buried her past and never looked back.

Finally having an understanding, knowing everything, she began to cry as Elsa continued.

"The necklace you always ask me about, the silver snowflake one. I had to wait a long time in between leaving the estate and catching a flight home so I went downtown and thought to buy some last mementos from home. I walked into a jewelry shop and saw it, like it was there waiting for me. And it was perfect because, as you know, it doesn't really snow here, it just mostly rains during the winter. Norway is so beautiful in the winter and it's such a huge part of life there and I knew I'd miss that the most. So I bought it...and when I wear it, it makes me think of home."

Just even something as simple as a necklace had a profound meaning behind it. It wasn't just a pretty bobble, it was her home on a silver chain. Every time Anna asked about it she never knew Elsa was trying to hold back how homesick she was. How she longed to go back to visit just once but never could bring herself to go through with it.

"Elsa, don't you want to go back? You haven't been there in almost seven years, to a place that's your home, your language, your culture. Don't you miss it?"

Anna had thought for sure it would be her father that would bring Elsa to tears but it wasn't.

As Elsa reflected on Anna's question, she let herself feel something she hadn't felt in a long time, homesickness. Every time someone had asked how she liked living in the states she had only be half honest with her answer. Yes, she did love living there and enjoyed the culture but it wasn't home. No matter what her parents had done to her, nothing could ever take away the love she felt for her real home.

The feeling pierced her heart as she slowly began to break. A tear from the corner of each eye rolled down her cheeks and meet under her chin, framing the frown that had formed on her face.

"I miss it terribly. But no one ever said that getting what I wanted would come without sacrifice. I have a life, one I made for myself and with you, that I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world, but I lost my family and my home in the process."

"Elsa, I want to ask this without pushing the issue but what are you going to do about your father? I mean I don't even know if he's-"

"He's alive. I know that much. I found out this morning," her tone taking a dramatic turn back to a neutral as she straightened her spine and wiped her tears away.

"I could completely understand if you never wanted to see him again. I'm not going to ask you about that again because those decisions are way more complicated than I ever thought they would be."

"The night you told me about...well about everything, you said something that made me think. I _do_ wish it could be different but I don't know if I have the strength to change it. _That_ I'd have to think about. I don't know where I want to go from here as far as he's concerned. But I'm am tired of running. I've been running from him my whole life." She looked at Anna, desperation tragically painted on her face.

"But the things he did…" Anna shook her head, still in disbelief about what she'd heard earlier.

"The crazy thing is, although I've been running, I've also been chasing him my whole life as well. Always wanting approval, wanting to be accepted, understood, loved, anything. All of it. It's been seven years and I'm still running and chasing. He can be vile, but not every single memory is awful. There was a time when I was younger, maybe twelve, and I was out riding one of our horses around the property. Something spooked the horse and the next thing I knew he threw me to the ground. There was this intense burning coming from my ribs and it hurt when I tried to breath, my head throbbed and I was so scared I'd been seriously injured with no one around to help me. The horse had already run off but my father had seen the fall from across the other side of the lawn, and I'll never forget the way he yelled my name. Like he was so frightened, his voice had this sound of complete fear. Anyways, he ran across the entire lawn, which is a long way, and knelt by my side. He was sweating and breathing heavily, just saying, _'Don't move, don't move. Everything will be alright. Just stay with me. Stay with me, please._ " I still couldn't breath and I was scared, so he held my hand while we waited for help. He stroked my hair and wiped the sweat from my face with his handkerchief. It was amazing because his worry, his fear for me felt like love. Like he cared for me outside of being an end to his means. He did something similar when I left for college. _'Be safe. Don't let anything happen to you,'_ he said. And he held my hands and squeezed them tight."

"Elsa...the things you've told me, my heart hurts to hear it. It makes me so mad at him. You never deserved any of that. I wish I could go back and save you."

Elsa's face brightened, finally.

"But don't you see? You did. Only much later. Everything that happened, everything I endured...if I had never left...I would never have found you."

More tears streamed down Anna's face as she held Elsa's gaze. She had no idea she had ever meant that much to her. That she had saved her just as Elsa had done when Anna's parents died.

"But what now? You could home and visit. I would come with you. You don't have to keep running. "

"Anna there's one other thing I don't think you understand. The family values in Norway are...different than they are here. Family is everything and it's always been that way. What I've done...what I've put my family through...is disgraceful."

Anna took a huge breath. She'd heard about as much as she could handle, more than she ever thought she'd hear in one night.

"Elsa, I agree. You need time. Time to think all these things over. This runs so deep, deeper than I ever imagined. You've told me so much, and now I finally understand. I'm so sorry that I pushed all you all this time, never knowing that this is what you were holding back. I know you've only told me part of the story but I think we should stop for tonight."

Anna rose from her seat and stood next to Elsa.

"I want to hold you but I get the feeling you want to be alone. Do you want me to stay?"

Still caught somewhere between the past and the present, Elsa gave a simple shake of her head, staying behind after Anna kissed her on the forehead and gave her some time to just be by herself. Elsa curled herself into the chair and let her thoughts carry her away as she tried to regroup.

* * *

The day spilled into night and the two once again found themselves turned away from each other in their giant bed. The mood being slightly different as they were no longer trying to avoid each other, rather respecting each other's space to digest the conversation from earlier.

Anna's breathing had slowed and she was drifting off to sleep when she felt a hand caressing her arm. Stirring from her near slumber she turned to find Elsa completely facing her with the trace of a smile on her face.

"Hi," Elsa whispered quietly.

"Hi. You okay?"

Elsa nodded with her head against the pillow, she looked so peaceful and her body glimmered in the moonlight.

Seizing the opportunity to end the cold war that had been occurring in the their bed, Anna moved over to Elsa and cuddled up next to her side, the blonde rolling slightly onto her back so that Anna was above looking down on her. In nothing but a tank top and underwear, Anna's body was framed in an outline of silver from the pale moonlight, accentuating the curves of her cheekbones and Elsa couldn't resist tracing a finger down the side of her face and across her freckles.

The moment of a looming kiss presented itself, both drawing their lips closer to each other, stopping just shy of their meeting. Noses nuzzled together for a brief moment and Anna could hear the sweet sound of Elsa's lips parting ever so slightly as a warm breath ghosted against Anna's lips.

The kiss was timid, shy and reserved. Both not knowing how far the other was willing to permit themselves to venture. Lips searched for that spark of the old familiar flame they once shared.

Elsa was trying to piece together the fragments of her trust in Anna. Knowing that letting her guard down meant letting Anna get close again. It was the first steps of forgiveness, her body saying _more_ but her heart saying _be careful_.

Anna was desperately trying to hold herself back, taking things at Elsa's pace and was so thrilled to have her wife in her arms again. Her excitement was building after days on end of having her touch gone unrequited.

Elsa brought her lips back to Anna's, parting them even more to allow for a better fit. Each kiss grew to be more daring. The room was dead quiet, just the sound of kisses being exchanged in the the dark of the night. Feeling more bold, Anna tilted her head and kissed Elsa more deeply, her tongue softly brushing between the blonde's sodden lips.

A return to their usual level of comfort felt like it was on the horizon and so Anna brought a hand to Elsa's cheek, lovingly feeling every inch of her body as it dragged down the column of her neck. Elsa responded with a tiny hum against Anna's lips as her hand continued to sweep across the side of her belly, continuing on until she reached the hem of Elsa's nightgown.

Elsa's kisses remained reserved, but she couldn't deny the electric feeling of Anna lips against her own, further giving into temptation until she suddenly felt the touch of Anna's hand stroking against the cotton underwear between her legs; breaking the kiss at once.

"Anna," she breathed, crossing her knee over her leg as her hips shied away from the redhead's advances.

"I'm sorry. I misunderstood. I just...wanted to make you feel good...and I can't seem to do that with words." Anna paused for a breath and her eyes connected with Elsa's. "I just want to love you."

There was a moment of silence, neither moving, just breathing.

Something pulled at Elsa, a longing for comfort or closeness, she couldn't quite pinpoint it but she knew she needed it. She needed to feel it.

Anna waited, afraid she'd gone too far again and forced her to retreat when Elsa shifted beneath her, only to realize what was happening when Elsa slid the garment down her legs and discarded it; reclaiming Anna's hand and returning to it's previous place between her bare thighs. An anxious breath was shared between them and Anna dipped down to capture Elsa's lips once again, her hand slowly resuming its strokes along the delicate line of Elsa's fold. Anna swallowed one of Elsa's fragile moans as she rested her fingers along her entrance, smoothing her arousal along her lips, rediscovering what had briefly been forbidden to her.

The room was still silent when Anna glided her fingers inside Elsa, breaking the kiss the blonde arched her head back and released a shuddering breath. Anna longed to hear the sounds of her pleasure but kept her pace slow, sensing Elsa was still holding onto some reservations as the only response to Anna's minstrations was the sound of breaths hitching in rapid succession at the back of Elsa's throat. Unable to continue the tantalizing slow pace, Anna resorted to the one thing she knew would make Elsa cry out.

Another slow glide into Elsa's moist center and Anna bit her lip as she fluttered her fingers against that pleasurable spot deep inside. Just as Anna had hoped, it sent Elsa soaring. Her heart skipped a beat and a rush of blood surged throughout her body, threatening to enrapture her in euphoria. The sound, it drove Anna _crazy_. Elsa's body writhed in ecstasy and her chest heaved with heavy breathes as it released the most intoxicating cries for more, her moans in time with Anna's thrusts.

Varying her touch, Anna soothed Elsa's breathing down with a curl of her fingers until Elsa had calmed and was purring with delight.

For a moment everything felt perfect, they were back in each other's arms in the most intimate of ways but something was happening inside Elsa. Her pleasure was mounting but it was also triggering something deep within her. It was funny how pleasure and pain were so easily connected, tied together so tightly that you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

Elsa's breathing became sharp and shallow and Anna tried to search her eyes but they were shut. Her heart dropped as the light illuminated a trail of tears from the corners of Elsa's eyes, rolling across her temples and melting into the hairline of her platinum locks. At the sound of another sharp gasp Anna stopped all together.

"Don't stop. Please, don't stop," Elsa cried as she placed her hand over Anna's and encouraged her to proceed.

"You're crying," Anna replied softly.

"Just don't stop, no matter what. Don't stop." The request came in the form of a sob.

"Please."

Reluctant to go any further, Anna did so at the continual urging of Elsa's hand, proceeding to curl and flutter until the tears stopped and the pleasure began to drown out the pain.

Falling back into the heat of the moment Anna began to lay wet kisses along Elsa's neck and jawline in hopes of recapturing their perfect reunion.

Soon Elsa's cries were rising to a crescendo, each breath releasing a higher pitched moan than the next. A final flutter with all her might sent Elsa careening over the edge into paradise. Her body quaked as a white heat ripped through her body, a look of sheer bliss befalling her angelic face as every extremity tingled and numbed with rapture.

Anna slowed her movements until the pulsing had stopped, bringing her arm to join her other as she cradled Elsa against her body. Her heart was still pounding to the beat their love but her high began to give way to the sadness that still remained and Anna knew then that it had been too soon. More time was needed for Elsa to heal from everything that had happened, for it had left her emotionally raw and exposed. The tears Anna had expected earlier in the evening were now streaming down Elsa's face as she sobbed into Anna's shoulder. Not one said a word, though they didn't need to, and Anna held Elsa long after she had cried herself to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

30 weeks (7 months, third trimester)

It was just after six as Elsa walked through the door after a long day of work when she was hit with the most delicious smell wafting from the kitchen. It was the first time she'd been home for dinner, on time and on purpose, in a while. They probably could have had dinner together the previous night but things had been so emotional after their talk that no one was even remotely hungry.

After setting her things down and removing her shoes, Elsa followed the wonderful aroma to the kitchen where Anna was putting the finishing touches on dinner.

"Hi. I made dinner so just relax, go sit down and I'll bring it to you." Anna said with a smile as she pointed to the dining room with an oversized oven mitt on her hand. With her red hair flowing down her back and eyes back to their animated selves, Elsa couldn't help but notice how lovely she looked in her cute little cooking apron as she buzzed about the kitchen like a humming bird.

Elsa walked to the dining room and noticed that Anna had moved the flowers off the table and arranged them throughout the dining and living room, that sweet floral goodness still fresh in the air.

The table was set and Anna had even used the good placemats and chargers, complete with their silverware that they normally reserved for guests and holidays. Everything was so nice that Elsa couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt like Anna was trying to make up for something when they'd both been in the wrong at various points the past week.

Before long Anna emerged from the kitchen with two beautifully arranged plates of salmon, asparagus, and mushroom risotto.

Elsa's eyes widened at the sheer perfection in which Anna had executed the salmon. It was a golden pink with a slight hint of glaze and a sprinkle of dill on top, exactly the way Elsa liked it.

"This looks amazing," Elsa said, mouth watering already.

Anna smiled at the compliment. She was a caretaker by nature and loved nothing more than to cook scrumptious meals as a way of showing her affection.

"It's wild and fresh from the market. Although it's Alaskan not Norwegian but I'm sure it'll suffice."

"Actually it's perfect since most Norwegian salmon you get here is farmed anyways."

Elsa stared at her plate, famished but gripped with a guilt and sadness that Anna's desire to make such a lovely dinner and go all out had something to do with her pitying Elsa or trying to make up for her sudden nervous breakdown after their time together in the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked, puzzled by the melancholic expression on Elsa's face.

Forcing herself to hold a tear back only made it escape from the corner of her eye even faster, falling away and landing on the table with a tiny splash.

It didn't take long for Anna to realize what was happening and she pulled up a chair and sat next to Elsa, taking her face in between her gentle hands.

"Hey. No more tears," Anna said softly.

With a gentle sweep of her thumb she wiped the tear from under Elsa's eye and kissed where it had been.

"What's happened is over and we're moving on. For all the other stuff still up in the air, we're going to take a break and think about it some other time when we've both healed from this. Tonight, we're going to have dinner like a normal married couple and enjoy each other's company. I made your favorite dish, so there's no more guilt, anger, or sadness. Just us."

Elsa nodded as Anna continued to caress the sides of her face before taking a deep breath.

"Okay," Elsa sighed.

"Okay. Now I left drinks in the kitchen so I'll be right back but feel free to start as I'm sure you and our daughter are probably starving."

 _Our daughter._ No matter how many times either one of them said it they never got tired of hearing it.

Anna returned with two glasses of water filled with freshly cut slices of lemon and took a seat across from Elsa who had chosen to wait for Anna before starting.

"And there's plenty more if you're still hungry after that," gesturing to Elsa's plate.

"The curse of being this pregnant is wanting to eat five plates worth but only having room for about half a plate instead. It's a blessing and a blight." A smile peaked out from the corner of Elsa's mouth as she picked up her fork and knife, cutting a bite sized square from the succulent salmon.

"This is random but what about Sonora?" Anna asked as she twirled her fork in the air.

"For…?"

"Oh, for names. I was watching _Wild Hearts Can't be Broken_ and the girl's name was Sonora."

Elsa looked blankly at Anna as she had no idea what she was referring to but was sure she'd no doubt enlighten her momentarily.

" _You know_ the one about the girl who runs away from home and rides horses up a _giant_ ramp and then dives into a pool of water and then gets _blinded_ later and she dives blind for like twenty years, and that's all after she falls in love with the owner's son and they get engaged. Cried my eyes out like baby but it was so worth it!"

Elsa stared at Anna with a forkful of salmon still hovering in front of her mouth, utterly lost and confused by what Anna had said before breaking into a laugh. She laughed so hard she had to set her fork down and cover her face with her napkin as she gasped for air. _God_ how it felt good to laugh instead of cry for a change.

" _What?_ It's a good movie. Don't laugh it was really sad. I cried real tears over this, Elsa."

"I'm sorry, it's just...that came out of nowhere and you're so adorable when you do that."

All it took was a little bit of Anna's rambling to get things back on track apparently. Elsa smiled to herself, realizing how badly she'd missed this, missed Anna. Them being themselves, having fun.

"I'm glad you find me so amusing. Anyways, Sonora?" Anna waited for Elsa to reply as she shoveled a bit of risotto onto her fork.

"Um...maybe add it to the maybe list? It's beautiful just not my favorite. But I love the story behind it with the horses and the blindness." Bursting into another fit of laughter as Anna rolled her eyes. She was still glad to see Elsa laughing. Even if it was at her expense.

"Okay so no Sonora but I don't hear any suggestions from you over there miss giggles," playfully pointing to Elsa with her fork.

"Actually, a woman at my work, her name is Brendy and her parent's names were Brent and Wendy and they combined them to make her name. I thought that might be neat for a middle name. I'm not bold enough to name our child's first name after us but as a middle it might be nice." Her eyes perked open a bit more, looking less depressed than at the start of dinner, as she cut the end off a piece of asparagus and speared it with her fork.

"So like An- Ansla, no that's not right. Elna, Enna...Ansa…" Anna squinted up at the ceiling, trying to picture their names merging together but still coming up with all the wrong combinations.

"I was thinking more like Elena or Elana, or Alana. Something like that." Elsa made that look entirely too easy as she daintily took a sip from her water and patted the corner of her mouth with the napkin.

"Those are so much nicer than what I was coming up with. Elena, Elana, Alana. I like them. But I can't decided."

"Well, you have ten weeks so take your time."

The conversation was flowing unbelievably smooth and Anna's goal of a normal dinner seemed to be going off without a hitch.

"What about Lillian or Lilly?"

"You can have two middle names. Americans seem to really love their middles name."

Not having a middle name herself it had always surprised Elsa that most people in the states not only had middle names but some even had two. Which was proving to her liking since she was noncommittal about first names. Giving a person a name they'd have for the rest of their life was more daunting than she'd ever expected.

"Is it just you are do most people in Norway not have middle names?"

"It's about 50/50. Half of the people do and half of the people don't. I don't really know why but it makes it easier to only have to have to remember two names. And I have yet to meet another Elsa Arendelle."

The rest of dinner went better than expected. Talking about baby names moved them into more conversations about the baby, especially all the planning they still had to do and excitement about starting birth classes next week.

For a surprise Anna had made strawberry shortcake for dessert, from scratch, and Elsa let them break the rules and eat in the family room snuggled up together as they swapped bites and fed each other from their plates.

Even later as they were getting ready for bed, Elsa left the door to the bathroom open this time and let Anna watch as she brushed her teeth in nothing but a matching sleeping bra and boy shorts. With the nights getting warmer and Elsa's body temperature increasing it was all she could do at stay cool at night without sleeping naked. They were already trying to give their lovemaking some time to cool off and sleeping in the nude wouldn't have helped either one of them keep their hands to themselves.

As Elsa turned off the light in the bathroom she grabbed her tub of cocoa butter and joined Anna in bed.

"Here wait, let me do that," referring to the cocoa butter Elsa usually rubbed all over her belly to help keep her skin elastic and prevent stretch marks. It also relieved that awful itching sensation she got on the side of her hips where the baby weight was pulling her skin taunt.

Elsa leaned back on a stack of pillows and handed the cocoa butter and towel to Anna who was primed and ready, hunched over Elsa's stomach.

Anna twisted the lid off the body butter and smelled it. "Mmmm coconut. You're gonna smell like a piña colada by the time I'm done with you. Just start here and work around right?" motioning around Elsa's belly button, which was slowly becoming an outie as the baby grew.

"Yeah and just make sure to get the sides of my hips. I think she's getting close to dropping because she feels really low and it's been pulling there more lately."

Anna took up a scoop of body butter and began to gently smear it around Elsa's naval, her face glowing with a doting smile as she worked it around her belly.

"She's here yeah?" feeling a bumpy extremity of some sort poking out near Elsa's lower ribs.

"Yeah, that's her knee I think. She's been upside down for the past few days."

Anna smoothed the body butter around Elsa's curves, trying to savor and memorize the feeling of her fingers passing over her wife's alabaster skin with their baby a mere inch below. It was a beautiful feeling but also bittersweet knowing that it was all going to be coming to an end soon. Elsa was only going to be pregnant another two months and although that seemed like a long time, Anna was hoping to revel in all the joys of pregnancy as much as she could before they were gone until the next baby. Even then it wouldn't be the same. Being this was their first baby they had nothing but time to devote to and relish every moment of the pregnancy. Future pregnancies wouldn't get the same attention as they would also have to take care of another child on top of it. Anna would miss this though. The warm glow of Elsa's skin, the way her body had morphed into a life giving goddess, the feeling knowing that her wife was creating and growing their own child. It all had a sense of magic that had cast its spell on Anna.

As Anna's passes became slower she noticed Elsa watching her out of the corner of her eye. As much as Anna had been enjoying the chance to touch Elsa in such an intimate way, the blonde had been swooning over the way Anna had cared for her that evening.

Putting the lid back on the tub, Anna wiped her hands off with the towel before blotting Elsa's stomach with it so she didn't stick to the sheets. She turned to toss the towel over to the hamper and when she turned back Elsa had caught her lips between her own, crushing them together in the most glorious way. She quickly adjusted her angel and dropped her jaw to take in more of Anna's ruby red lips.

Anna kissed back but was hesitant to let things get too carried away for fear she wouldn't be able to stop either one of them. Needing air she pulled away to catch her breath while Elsa threaded her fingers into Anna's vermilion tresses.

"I love you. And despite everything, I'm still crazy about you," Elsa breathed against Anna's lips, still tingling from the way she'd touched her body just now with the cocoa butter. The way Anna had looked at her, so loving and possessive.

Things were finally moving in the right direction and the grey cloud of gloom that had been hanging over them felt like it was lifting for good.

* * *

By the end of the week things were starting to get back to normal. Elsa was coming home for dinner every night and Anna had assumed her usual spoon position in bed alongside Elsa, though sex had been tabled at Anna's request until Elsa had a put some distance between her and their last time together.

Anna was finishing up her last week of work before school was out and only had to go in during the afternoons which gave her plenty of time to play housewife to Elsa in the morning, which they both loved to no end.

Elsa was running a little behind schedule this particular morning because her and Anna had woken up entangled in each other's arms and neither one of them was willing to move without several kisses before hand. But when playtime was over Elsa found herself having to hussle in order to make it to work on time for an early meeting.

"Don't forget your glucose drink!" Anna shouted after Elsa.

Anna was hunkered over the blonde in the entryway trying to help her get out the door as fast as possible.

"I've got it," Elsa replied in a hurried breath.

She swished around the items in her purse, double checking for the little bottle she'd picked up from Dr. Bjorgman's office earlier in the week for her glucose test.

"What flavor did you end up going with?" Anna asked.

"Orange. Though I don't think it would have mattered which flavor I went with, it's still going to taste putrid."

Elsa held up the small bottle filled with a chalking bright orange solution of glucose and water, sticking her tongue out at the cloudy concoction.

"Don't forget to take it an hour before and I'll meet you at Dr. Bjorgman's at 12," Anna directed with an entitled sense of authority. She really got into the housewife role during summer.

"I'll... _we'll_ , be there. Don't worry," giving Anna a warm smile.

Elsa made a quick glance around the room to make sure she had everything before leaving.

 _Tea, blue prints, purse, keys, glucose drink...I think that's everything._

Following Elsa to the door, still in her pajamas and robe, Anna handed Elsa a small bag full of snacks she'd made for her to take to work in case she got hungry.

"Here, have a good day. I love you," Anna said as she handed her brown paper bag.

Elsa stood in the doorway and looked at her adorable wife biting her bottom lip and gazing up at her with those aquamarine orbs, knowing all too well what she was waiting for.

With Elsa in heels and Anna barefoot, their height difference was even greater than usual. Elsa placed her hand just under Anna's chin, tipping her head up as she leaned in to meet for a goodbye kiss. What had originally meant to be brief was now lingering as time seemed to stand still, quickly become something more as they both deepened the kiss with a small satisfied moan against each other's lips.

Standing in the doorway with her hands completely full and late for work, Elsa couldn't begin to pry herself off and it was Anna who had to pull her lips away and push Elsa out the door for fear she'd be too late.

" Go," Anna begged.

"I love you too."

Elsa proceeded down the driveway and whipped her head back to catch one last look at Anna who was waving and smiling with the biggest grin on her face. Something wonderful was happening between them and Elsa bit the side of her bottom lip as she tried to hide her own smile. A twinkle in the blonde's azure eyes reassured Anna that they were moving out of the storm and towards more pleasant skies, possibly even towards a honeymoon stage; she could only hope.

* * *

By noon they were together again at Dr. Bjorgman's office and Elsa was sitting up at an angle on the exam table with Anna off to the side holding her hand. That tingling spark between them was growing by the minute and the way they were holding hands was like a newly dating couple that couldn't bear to be without physical contact for more than a minute.

Dr. Bjorgman was busy checking Elsa's blood pressure and wrapped the cup around her arm and began to squeeze the bulb to inflate the cuff, suddenly engrossed by the way the two were lost in each other's eyes, completely ignoring him and what he was doing as their fingers lovingly twiddled together.

"You guys starting to get caught up in the romance of pregnancy?" he said with a chuckle. It wasn't anything new for expecting couples to go through a romance stage but he'd seen both of them countless times in his office when they were anything but romantic, stormy maybe but this was a completely different side of them.

It took Elsa a solid minute before she was able to tear her eyes away from Anna and answer the question with a dreamy smile.

"Something like that."

"It's none of my business but whatever you two are doing, keep doing it because I haven't seen you this happy since you found out you were having a girl. Speaking of girl, lets get a feel of your uterus and see how big she is."

All eyes has shifted to Elsa's stomach where Dr. Bjorgman began his palpitations against Elsa's growing belly, causing her to giggle as the baby tried to kick the man away and escape the pressure of his hands.

"She's active," he said with a laugh.

"You have no idea. I don't know if that's normal but at the rate she kicks I think David Beckham may have been the donor." Elsa continued to giggle as the baby kicked away.

"Yeah she definitely doesn't like me coming into her space. Sorry cutie pie but I have to make sure everything is coming along with you and your mommy." His voice raising up into a soft tone.

Bowled over by Dr. Bjorgman's cuteness Anna leaned in and whispered to Elsa. "Is he not the sweetest doctor ever?"

Elsa nodded and smiled, she loved that their doctor was so caring. It made the idea of labor and delivery less terrifying knowing he'd been the one guiding them through that adventure.

At the end of the exam Anna and Elsa sat on the couch across from Dr. Bjorgman to discuss what the next ten weeks would look like for them.

"Alright, let's do some housekeeping since we're in the homeward stretch now. You're all signed up for birth classes so that's out of the way. Make sure you complete it and Anna gets her birth coach card otherwise she can't assist in the birth like you two have planned. Also, I want you to starting doing kick counts, this is actually something Anna can help with when you're just lounging around. Count how long it take for her to kick ten times. Ten kicks in twenty minutes is average, if that's not happening give me a call that day. Don't wait. From now on you'll be coming in every two weeks until you're 34 weeks, then you'll be coming in once a week until you deliver. And actually I'll see you again next week for the glucose results."

Their eyes glazed over at the amount of information coming at them.

"Also, I'm assuming you'll go into labor some time around 40 weeks and being that this is your first baby you may even go over that by a week or two which is completely normal. But just in case you deliver early we have you do the dry run to the hospital and meet some of the staff now so that you're all prepared no matter what happens. You'll also fill out all the paperwork at that time so you don't have to do any of that on delivery day. Lastly, you need to start putting together a birth plan which your birth class instructor will go over more with you but make sure I have a copy of it by 34 weeks so that it's in you file."

He looked up from his notes to see Anna and Elsa struggling to digest everything he'd just rattled off.

"I know that was a lot of information for you but you're heading into the exciting time so there's a lot that needs to be done. Have you guys prepared your home yet? Bought diapers, furniture, all that stuff?"

They looked at each other nervously and then back to Dr. Bjorgman.

"Um...not yet. We've been _busy_." Elsa answered somewhat reserved. She was a little ashamed that they'd been too _preoccupied_ with fighting and dealing with their problems to even buy so much as a stitch of clothing or a box of diapers for their bundle of joy.

"Now is a good time because if Elsa hits that nesting stage like most mom's, preparing your home will be a great way for her to deal with all those hormones and extra energy that she's going to have."

Elsa smiled at the way he covertly counseled Anna on how to best handle her until _that_ word struck her ear like nails on a blackboard.

"Wait, more _hormones_? I have plenty already!" she yelled at an ear piercing volume, causing Anna and Dr. Bjorgman to jump back in surprise.

"See." Elsa waved her hands about her body as she'd just perfectly demonstrated the power of said hormones.

"It's just a last surge the body gives to help get ready for baby. And at the rate you've been going, it may also give you some extra _intimate_ time. Which I highly suggest you act upon because once the baby comes you two will not only be zombies but Elsa's body is going to be flooded with progesterone for breastfeeding and she will _not_ be in the mood, trust me."

Anna couldn't help but pout a bit at the thought of a dry spell. Yes Elsa had been insatiable at times but the sex had been some of the best of their whole relationship and she wasn't looking forward to that part of the deal ending.

"Any questions?" Dr. Bjorgman asked.

"No, I think we have plenty to talk about already," Elsa sighed bewilderingly, running a tense hand through her platinum hair.

"Then I will see you in two weeks. Drink plenty of water now that it's summer and uh...it's good to see you guys smiling again."

* * *

Anna was upstairs doing some cleaning when she surprisingly heard Elsa's car pull into the driveway and headed towards the stairs to see what had brought her home earlier than expected.

"Hey you're home a little early," Anna chirped as she bounced down the stairs towards the elegantly dressed blonde.

Elsa set her things on the entryway table and was godsmacked when she saw Anna in a bright red sundress with matching strappy red wedges. Now that she was just going into work to finish end of the year obligations and wasn't seeing students she was allowed to be more flexible with the dress code.

Elsa slowly dragged her eyes over Anna's body. The dress hit mid thigh, leaving not much to the imagination as her trim calves and perfect legs were exposed for all the world to see. And although Elsa could see that Anna had been wearing a white shrug earlier in the day, the evidence of which was crumpled up on the couch, there was nothing but two thin red straps covering her shoulders, exposing the constellation of freckles across her summery warm skin.

Shying a bit at Elsa's obvious leering, Anna crossed one foot in front of the other and blushed as she let Elsa drink in the sight of her.

"What?" Anna finally asked, gathering her red mane over her shoulder with a nervous twist of the ends.

Realizing she'd been ogling her wife for an almost uncomfortable amount of time, Elsa dropped her purse and keys where she stood and sauntered over to Anna with a predatory grin on her face.

"Look at _you_." Her words smooth as silk as she encircled her hands around Anna's hips and backed her up against the wall.

"You look like a delicious maraschino cherry. I just want to put you on top of sundae." Anna's face flushed an even brighter shade of red as Elsa moved aside a section of copper hair with her nose and whispered into Anna's ear.

"If you're going to ban us from making love, you can't wear things like this. It's really not _fair_." Elsa's whine was enough to make Anna's loins ache with a sudden throb of heat, the blonde pushing Anna back further against the wall as her fingers walked the tightrope of seams up the sides of the cherry red dress. Kisses hotter than the summer sun where melting against the pulse point of Anna's neck, turning her head to the side to give Elsa better access when she noticed something different.

"Where's all your stuff?" Anna asked.

Elsa didn't bother to lift her head and began to draw elaborate calligraphy with her tongue on the side of Anna's slender neck.

"Mmmm...what stuff?" She breathed against Anna's neck.

" _Your_ stuff. You always come home from work with more stuff than that."

Snapping out of her lust induced fog, Elsa put her tongue back in her mouth and remembered what she was going to say before Anna had ignited her hormones with her figure-hugging dress.

"Oh yeah. Um...because I want to take you somewhere tonight," pulling herself away as she corralled her urges.

"Like a date?" Anna asked as her hands splayed out midair in excitement.

"Sort of. I want to take you to my new office and we can watch the sunset over dinner. We never really got to formally celebrate my promotion and I think I owe you for handling it the way I did."

"Oh my gosh, that sounds like so much fun! Let's go now, I wanna see your office and say hi to Henry!"

Henry was the security guard in the lobby of Elsa's building. A sweet kind grey haired man that Anna loved to entertain with her antics.

"Can we pick this up later?" Elsa whined.

"Possibly but I don't want a repeat of last time. Let's see how things go okay?" arching an authoritative brow at Elsa.

"Okay. Come with me, I'm driving and we're taking my car because I can't drive anything larger than a sedan," she said as she grabbed Anna by the hand and led her out the door.

"Fine by me. My car likes me better anyway," Anna snickered back.

"And by the way, and Audi is not pretentious. You know what's pretentious?" Elsa asked playfully as she locked the door behind them.

"What?"

"A chauffeured Bentley Phantom."

"Was that your guys' family car?" Anna smirked sarcastically.

"You could say that."

* * *

Elsa wound her car around the narrow corridors of the parking garage until she reached her spot with a black placard with _Reserved for Arendelle, BBA_ written in bold lettering.

"Woah...you have your own spot with your name and everything." Anna stared at the sign like it had some sort of hypnotic quality that wouldn't allow her to look away.

"Yep! No more leaving early just to have to look for a spot. This one is all mine," Elsa gleamed as she threw the car into park.

Two high pitched beeps rang out through the garage as Elsa locked her car and interlaced her fingers with Anna's, leading her to the elevator where they stepped on and anxiously waited for the car to reach the lobby. The blonde's eyes were still stuck on the hemline of Anna's dress as she subconsciously licked her bottom lip, rolling it between her teeth with the slightest bit of pressure. It felt really good to hold Anna's hand, better than before maybe. How was that possible?

The silver metallic doors parted with a chime and they were greeted by Henry who was standing behind the front desk of the lobby.

"Good evening Mrs. Arendelle," nodding to the blonde.

"Hi Henry!" Anna squealed as she jumped out the elevator behind Elsa and waved emphatically.

"Ah, and good evening to you as well...Mrs. Arendelle."

"Did the delivery come?" Elsa asked Henry.

"Yes, it did indeed." Henry replied as he handed Elsa an extra large delivery bag from over the counter.

"Thank you so much Henry. I owe you one." Elsa said with a wink.

"Wait, what's that?" Anna asked, pointing to the bag with raised eyebrows.

"Dinner. Oh wait, I want to show you this."

Elsa brought Anna over to the building directory on the opposing wall, keenly scanning the lists of businesses with a searching finger.

"Right…here." Elsa's perfectly manicured finger stopped on the new company name as Anna read it aloud.

"Bennet, Banks, and Arendelle, 63rd floor. Wow, that's incredible."

Elsa's cheeks blushed as she shyly smiled at a thoroughly impressed Anna. Even though Elsa was excited and wanted to share every moment of her achievement with Anna, she was never boastful, always modest and polite.

They walked to the second set of express elevators and hopped inside as Elsa pressed _63_ and they began their trip up to the office. The car ascended so rapidly that Anna found herself tugging on her ear as they popped just after passing the 50th floor.

"Ah, ouch. How do you get used to that?" her jaw bobbing up and down trying regain the proper frequency in her ears.

"I don't know. It's just never bothered," Elsa shrugged as she watched the floor numbers change on the screen to the side of them.

"Nothing _ever_ bothers you. It's like that weird way you can bite straight down into a popsicle and doesn't hurt your teeth."

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just special," making a playful biting motion towards Anna.

"I won't argue with that," Anna sighed.

An automated voice announced their destination and the doors opened to reveal a dimly lit lobby with no one in sight. The receptionist had gone home along with everyone else and Anna felt like they were robbers making a break in. Extremely attractive and well dressed robbers but still.

On the way down the hall Elsa pointed out her old office to Anna, which she hadn't been to since the office Christmas party over eight months ago. Elsa's new office was on the other side of the floor, which offered more space and a slightly better view of the bay down below.

"So, this is it," she said with a click of the lock.

Elsa opened the door and let Anna walk in first, her eyes widening as she took in the massive room. It was basically the size of a small hotel suite, complete with a couch and a set of table and chairs to have private meetings at. The windows were the same floor to ceiling type she had in her old office but there were more of them considering the length of the room.

"Woah…" Anna gasped in amazement.

"I haven't had a chance to put my personal touches on it so it's a bit generic looking at the moment." Elsa let Anna look around the office while she turned on the lights and set the delivery bag on the table.

Even still the room was quite nice for having little decorative additions. Her long L-shaped desk was off to one side of the room so that she could look outside while drafting on her computer screens. One wall was lined with bookshelves with various books and architectural references but were still mostly bare and there was a small stainless steel mini fridge with a coffee maker on top. The vase of peonies was still sitting back on the side table and Anna smiled when she saw Elsa had kept it in her office, with the card and everything.

"So what's for dinner?"

"Well I was going to order from the new French place up the street. I heard they have amazing sole beurre blanc."

Elsa was met with a deadpan face from Anna, as if that were the most unappealing dish she'd ever heard of but the exact kind of thing Elsa would order.

"Don't worry, I got something right up your alley instead."

A sneaky smile stretched across her face, reaching into the delivery bag and pulling out a stack of napkins and cutlery as Anna read the print off the napkins.

"Olive Garden! Oh yes Elsa, you're the best! Did you get salad and breadsticks too? Because it's not Olive Garden without breadsticks you know."

Elsa continued to unload the bag and handed Anna a box of piping hot bread sticks, the buttery warm aroma invading Anna's nostrils with a sigh of delight.

"Yes I did. Salad and breadsticks, just for you," giving Anna a kiss on the head.

"And what did you get?"

Anna watched as Elsa peeled off the lids of two entrees.

"I got steak Toscano and for you my love, Tour of Italy."

Not wanted to play guessing games about what Anna was in the mood for she got the one dish that had a little of everything.

"This is looks so good! You did a great job. Although, I didn't even know they had steak. Elsa it's Olive Garden. You're supposed to get pasta," she teased.

"Be nice or you won't get any tiramisu," She teased back. Although from the way Elsa spoke in such a sultry tone, Anna wasn't sure if she actually meant tiramisu or was impling some sort of sexual innuendo.

"So again, this office is pretty amazing. I guess we should toast, with our flimsy plastic take-out cups but it's the thought that counts."

Anna held up her cup of Diet Coke and cleared her throat, attempting to be serious.

"To your promotion and...to the most talent woman I know."

They tapped cups and took a celebratory sip from their bright green straws.

"I suppose I should apologize for not telling you in the first place. I wasn't in my right mind. I made a lot of bad decisions and I'm sorry."

" _I'm_ the one that should apologize. That week was awful and we don't need to talk about it tonight. This is supposed to be a celebration. For one night we can let go of everything that's happened and just have fun. I think _she'd_ want that," placing a hand against Elsa's swell.

"You're right we should."

"Besides, I think things might be moving in a better direction and Dr. Bjorgman is right, we should enjoy it while it lasts."

Elsa took a sip from from her drink when she got a great a idea and couldn't swallow fast enough to share it with Anna.

" Mmmm...we should do a babymoon."

"Yeah! Wait, what exactly is a babymoon?"

"It's a trip you go on like a honeymoon, but for when you're having a baby. One last trip as a couple to before the baby comes."

"I like the sound of that. You, me, no phones, no drama. Where would we go?"

"I don't know but you're almost off for the summer. Why don't I let you plan it?"

"You would relinquish control and let me plan a trip for once?"

"Yes. Part of the joys of pregnancy. I'm too tired to plan anything," she smiled at Anna, popping a piece of breadstick into her mouth.

"Oh and about summer. I wanted to talk to you about something that's been on my mind."

Anna stopped eating for a moment as her tone became for serious.

"What's that?"

"I was thinking about teaching summer school, just for July. And then I'd be off in time for the baby to come."

"Yeah that's fine. What inspired you to do that?"

Elsa was a little confused as to why Anna felt the need to ask her permission. She wasn't that controlling, was she?

"Well, I think I want to take next year off."

Elsa stopped chewing and looked at Anna who was nervously looking up through her lashes, trying to read the blonde's face.

"I've been thinking and I can't imagine being home for three months and then going back to teach other people's children when all I want is to be with my own. A lot of teachers take a year off and I know we're in a good enough place financially so...it's something I really want to do."

Anna smiled in relief when Elsa's blank face turned into one of support.

"I think it's a great idea. You want to be a mom so bad, you should take as much time as you want to enjoy it. I think it would make you so happy," smiling then pressing her lips back into a line, trying to think of why she hadn't thought to make such an offer to Anna before.

"The irony is that I'll have been pregnant for nine months and then you'll be home by yourself with the baby for nine months after I go back to work. Funny how it works out that way."

When they were finished with dinner they ate dessert on the couch and watched the sun cast its palette of oranges and pinks over the scattered clouds in the sky. As the room grew darker things began to look a lot more romantic as the only light illuminating the room was coming from a small lamp on Elsa's desk.

"Here let me take your plate." Elsa grabbed Anna's dessert plate and tossed them into the trash before leaning back against the length of the desk in front of Anna, legs crossed with her hands stretched out along the edge, smiling with what Anna could only have guessed was pride.

"You like it?" referring to the office.

"I love it," Anna replied, referring to Elsa. "It's beautiful."

"I _love_ that dress," Elsa cooed, her eyes narrowing with an alluring gaze.

Accepting the invitation, Anna shot up from the couch and quickly pulled Elsa into her arms, slipping her hands around her hips.

"You have a weakness for me in dresses. Always have." Unable to help herself she kissed along Elsa's jawline.

"It's you legs. They drive me _crazy_." Elsa playfully trailed a hand up the side of Anna's outer thigh, not meaning to start anything but Anna took it as a cue.

" _You_ drive me crazy." Catching her off guard, Anna had backed Elsa up against her desk and helped lift her onto the edge, pushing her dress up to her thighs as a hand circled its way up her leg.

"Stop, we can't do _that_ here," pulling Anna's hand away as she closed her legs.

"Why? We're just fooling around, no one's here," Anna glanced around the room to point out the obvious.

" _Because_ , while I don't think Henry will mind watching us fool around on the surveillance camera, security may have a problem with us having sex in my office."

"That's _not_ what I was going for but _fine_."

Anna backed away from Elsa and suddenly noticed the size of the room as an idea popped into her head.

"But I want you to dance with me instead. If we can't have formal foreplay, we'll do things the old-fashion way. I will woo you with song," she said with a roll of her shoulder and a raised russet brow. Elsa knew she was in trouble now.

Eying the iHome dock on one of Elsa's bookshelves she whipped out her phone and opened her music app to cue up a song she knew would flatter Elsa to no end. She then pushed aside the table and chairs, clearing a space for them to slow dance as the last of the day's sun slipped into the horizon.

"Come here." Anna stood in the center of the cleared space and held out her arms as she motioned for Elsa to join her.

Excited, Elsa removed her heels and made her way into Anna's hold. Being the taller one Elsa had always assumed the lead role when it came to dancing and she never minded. She was graceful and elegant but Anna was much more fun to twirl and dip, and she fit so well when she curled into Elsa during a slow dance. With heels off it still only made Anna just a hair shorter than Elsa but she appreciated the attempt to even things out.

"I will lead, you will follow." Anna was so confident it was making Elsa blush like crazy.

"You've already heard me sing this once before, but in an entirely different context. Never the less, consider it an encore."

"What context would that be?" Elsa smiled coyly, her heart racing in anticipation of being serenaded by Anna's finely tuned instrument.

"Hmm...let's see. This is pretty forward but the last time I sung this to you, we were in a Tahitian hut over the Pacific Ocean. And...we were in bed and I had you in my arms, worshiping every part of your body with my lips-"

Elsa's face was now a lovely shade of magenta.

"- and you had one of those adorable little tropical flowers tucked behind your ear and I think we probably had one too many vanilla rum punches that night. Or maybe just the right amount as that night _still_ stands out in my mind. You remember?"

"Mhmm. Our honeymoon, Bora Bora." That night stuck out in _both_ their minds and Elsa bit her lip at the memory.

"That is correct." Anna turned to the dock and hit play on the sleek remote, tossing it onto the couch as she embraced Elsa in a firm hold; clearing her throat as the karaoke track for _I Wanna Be Loved by You,_ an old Betty Boop song Anna's parents had loved, began to play as she prepared to sing for the love of her life.

 _I wanna be loved by you, just you,_

 _And nobody else but you,_

 _I wanna be loved by you, alone!_

 _Boop-boop-ba-doo!_

Anna stopped momentarily to boop Elsa on the nose at the appropriate time and the most adorable giggle came from her as she wrinkled her nose at the touch of Anna's finger.

She continued to moved Elsa round the room with ease, pulling her closer so their lips were almost touching. Her voice was as sweet as honey, fluttering her eyelashes as if they were choreographed to the music; pleasing Elsa so.

 _I wanna be kissed by you, just you,_

 _Nobody else but you,_

 _I wanna be kissed by you, alone!_

A grin continued to grace Elsa's face and she laughed joyously at Anna's ability to seamlessly slip between silly and sexy. And _kiss_ , oh how she wanted to but didn't want to interrupt the song.

 _I couldn't aspire,_

 _To anything higher,_

 _Than feel the desire,_

 _To make you my own!_

 _Ba-pa-doodle-doo, boop-boop-a-doo!_

Anna had led Elsa out for a twirl and reeled her back in for a kiss on the nose, retaking their hold as she finished the song.

 _I wanna be loved by you, just you,_

 _Nobody else but you,_

 _I wanna be loved by you,_

 _Ba-dup-ba-dup-ba-dup-ba-dup, boop-boop-a-doo!_

By the end of the song Elsa had completely been swept off her feet and couldn't stop giggling as she gracefully clapped her hands while Anna curtsied in her pretty red dress with a beaming smile across her face.

"That was...unbelievable. I'm speechless," Elsa gushed through her laughter.

Anna walked over to her phone and changed the music to a slow jams station before returning to dance with Elsa, the blonde leading this time.

"I'll make a fool of myself for you any time if it makes you this happy."

"You amaze me. And that song _still_ works on me."

"Of course it does. How many times was it again that night?"

"I lost count after five. I think that's when the rum really began to kick in," Elsa laughed through her nose thinking back on that night, slightly embarrassed that the whole island had probably heard them screaming each other's names until the sun came up.

A Billie Holiday song was just finishing as Elsa took Anna in her arms and held her close, foreheads gently pressed together, slowly gliding across the floor as Fleetwood Mac's _Landslide_ played throughout the room.

"Thank you for dinner. And for bringing me here. I _really_ am proud of you. So proud. You're amazing and sometimes I can't believe you're mine."

"My pleasure."

Saying you were proud of your wife shouldn't hurt as bad as it did. Anna _was_ proud of Elsa, more than anything, but everything was different now that she knew just what Elsa had gone through to pursue her talent, to follow her heart. She couldn't help but look around the room at all of the rolled up blueprints and drawings about the office, thinking back to that horrific fireplace and what Elsa's father had done. Suddenly saying she was proud of her didn't seem like enough.

Anna opened her mouth to speak but was distracted when Elsa spun her out for a playful twirl. Retaking their hold, pressed against one another, Anna brought her thoughts back to what she'd planned to say.

"Elsa, I just want to say again say how sorry I am. I never meant to h-hurt you." A sob snuck up on her mid-sentence and she turned her face away to gather herself.

Slender fingers upon her chin brought her gaze back to Elsa's.

"I know you didn't know and you pushed because I hurt you too. We did things, we hurt each other and now you know everything. Regardless of everything that's happened, I can't deny that something's changed since then and...this weight has been lifted. All I see is you and me and the baby. I just want to spend the next ten weeks falling hopeless more in love with each other and our baby. I can already feel my heart beating faster every time I look at you."

There was nothing left to say, so instead Anna kissed Elsa tenderly on the lips as Stevie Nicks sang on about how she'd been afraid of changing and the song eerily seemed to fit the moment with an ironic perfection.

And there in Elsa's office, they clung to each other. Holding tightly with their eyes closed as they kissed and danced the night away, not caring about anything else. But the moment was short lived as Henry's voice buzzed over the intercom on Elsa's phone.

"Elsa, it's almost ten," a raspy voice announced.

"Thanks Henry."

She bent down and gave Anna one last quick kiss before pulling away to pack up their stuff.

"I told Henry we'd be gone by ten because the cleaning crew comes through then."

Saddened at the thought of the evening coming to an end, Anna took her phone off the iHome and helped Elsa pack up dinner and gather their things before heading back home.

* * *

The whole car ride home felt painstakingly long for both of them. So much so that Elsa, who normally didn't speed, was sending the speedometer past 80 as she flew down the freeway. All the fighting and the pain had vanished and the entire week felt like it was building up to this evening, to this moment. Bodies filled with a burning desire to be close to one another again, an endless evening, perhaps week, of foreplay needing to evolve into something more before it consumed them.

Anna didn't even wait until they were in the house before she grabbed Elsa and kissed her several times as they tripped and stumbled their way through the front door, slamming it shut as she pinned the blonde against the nearest wall. Lush pink lips were marking a trail of kisses from behind Elsa's ear and down her neck as a pair of wandering hands greedily made their way up Anna's dress to her pert rear.

"I want you...I want you so bad," Elsa panted as she squeezed her hands around Anna derriere, forcing a surprised squeak from the redhead.

Their hair was a mess, vibrant red mixed with Elsa's snow white locks as Anna continued to show affection to a most tender spot just behind the blonde's ear, the sensation of which made Elsa feel like her legs were going to give out at any minute as her moans vibrated against Anna's lips.

"I want you...but this has to be right." Anna breathed, not knowing if Elsa was emotionally ready to be intimate again. She couldn't handle another night of crying but also kept hearing Dr. Bjorgman's voice in the back of her mind, urging them to take advantage of this time. Everything had been so good. The hand holding, the kissing, the sultry eye glances. Things hadn't felt _this_ good in a long time. Anna wanted it, she couldn't deny it and her defenses were dying out against Elsa's persistence.

"I've moved past that. I told you, this is _different_."

Anna may have been protesting but it didn't stop her from crashing their lips together with an oh so daring tongue.

Frustrated at the mixed messages, Elsa abruptly pulled her lips from Anna's, holding her face as she looked into her eyes.

"Tell me you don't want this...and I'll stop." She blinked and waited for a reply.

"I do want this...more than anything but for the right reasons. Not because you're trying to escape from something only to have it catch up with you in the end again," taking a few small steps back from Elsa to emphasise her seriousness.

She looked at Anna for a moment, then reached back between her shoulders to unzip her dress, seductively sliding her arms out of the sleeves and letting it pool around her on the floor, exposing her ample breasts held back by a blush pink bra she'd clearly outgrown.

"What do I have to do to prove my intentions to you?" taking a step towards Anna as she licked her lips, tangling her fingers into her mane as soon as she was within reach.

"You're my wife and we had one of the most difficult weeks in our marriage...and I want to leave that behind and embrace this...this feeling that I _know_ you feel too."

With her lips a heartbeat away from Anna's, she pressed a soft kiss to her lips and whispered.

"Please. I love you...and I want to make love to you."

Losing all train of thought Anna gave in and like dam, her desires came bursting forth; pulling the blonde closer as she kissed her deeply, passionately without a chance to breathe. While Elsa had been left gasping for air, Anna turned on her heel with smirk and led the blonde by the hand to the bedroom.

Clothes were quickly being peeled off left and right and a trail was left along the stairs, leading to the bedroom where they were both in nothing but heels and undergarments.

"How did you manage to match your bra, underwear, _and_ shoes?" Elsa asked in between kisses, noticing Anna's red bra and panties as she removed her own."

"I would be lying if I hadn't been kinda hoping this would happen. So, I came prepared," she oozed with a sass only she could possess as she slipped out of her underwear.

The entangled pair backed their way up to the bed where Elsa sat on Anna's side, followed by the redhead.

"I want to do something different, and oldie but a goodie," Anna smirked with a wink, unhooking her bra and tossing across the room, giving Elsa an eyeful of her perky pink breasts.

Intrigued, Elsa followed Anna's lead. Sitting facing each other, Anna straddled the blonde, placing Elsa's slender legs over her own and pulling them closer together until their pelvis were almost touching.

"This isn't going to work. I'm too big."

"Not if you sit on my thighs a little and let me control everything."

A perplexed look twisted Elsa's face as she tried to imagine how this was going to happen.

"This way we can see each other, kiss each other. Just be closer. Don't you want to watch me watching you?" The thought sending Elsa's body into overdrive as Anna looked up at her with pleading eyes. This position had been phenomenal in the past and had them both screaming aloud in the end on multiple occasions but never had they been challenging the laws of physics like they were this evening. Even though Elsa was a bit taller, Anna was physically much stronger and didn't flinch when she lifted Elsa up against her, pressing their warm centers together.

"See, you fit perfectly right in here," pointing out the hollowed area in front of Anna's chest. Amazingly there was just enough room between them to comfortably fit together like puzzle pieces.

"I'll lead, you follow," smirking again.

Placing a firm hand behind the small of Elsa's back and another just under her shoulder blades, Anna slowly began to rock their hips together.

It didn't long before a wave of pleasure was pulsing up through Elsa's core and she very quickly understood why Anna had insisted on this orientation. With their bodies pressed together, lips were able to find their way and meet with ease as moans for more escaped between broken kisses. Hands were free to rove each other's bodies and they could maintain eye contact as they simultaneously gave and received pleasure.

Finding a steady rhythm, Anna placed both hands just behind Elsa's hips and guided her in with each thrust, quickly undoing the blonde as waves of elation were coursing through her body.

"Ahh...Anna...ahhhh…" the blonde wailed desperately as she grasped a handful of Anna's breast, kneading and pinching as she worked the redhead into a frenzy, making her buck harder into her wife with vigor.

They were losing themselves into a lust induced haze, breaths fogging against each other as they refused to keep their lips too far apart; a throng of gasps and moans filled the air. The heat between them was scorching. Sweat rolled down from Elsa's neck and between her breasts, drawing Anna's attention to it as she instantly went to lay a kiss against the salty trail. And everything felt good, _so good_. Hearts so close they could have been beating as one, each movement, each thrust not only quelled their own needs but gave them undying satisfaction knowing they were fulfilling each other's desires as well.

"Elsa...nnnnhhaaa...ah...I love you...I love you." Weeks of torment spent pining for her wife were now unbridled as she professed a heavenly hymn of their love to the world.

"Elsssssaaaa."

Her whimpers spurred Elsa on and she canted her hips, grinding their moist heat together as they throbbed with a thunderous fury. A white hot warmth was building deep within Anna as Elsa licked and gently bit around the shell of her ear, hot deafening breaths played against it, each cry bringing Anna closer and closer to her release.

"I'm close...I-...ahh...Elsa."

Anna had secretly hoped that things would synchronize just right and they could be swept away into oblivion together but she was already a good thrust away from leaving Elsa behind.

Knowing Anna's body would respond faster than her own, Elsa didn't have the same hopes for their union. In fact she was yearning to look into Anna's eyes and watch her beautiful face as her body rocked with exaltation. Anna's cheeks were already burning a bright scarlet and her movements were slowing as her body succumbed to that mind numbing goodness.

Taking over to give her wife ultimate bliss Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna's torso and rapidly writhed against her and watched as Anna screwed her eyes shut, tipped her head back ever so slightly and released the most delicious grown from her deep within her being. Her climax broke over her like crashing waves in a storm, lasting for what felt like an eternity as Elsa's relished the feeling of Anna's heaving soft breasts against her own.

As she came back down, Anna returned her attention to Elsa who was seconds away from reaching her own peak, taking her face between her hands.

"Look at me. I want to see your eyes when you come."

Replacing her hands on Elsa's lower back, Anna pulled her closer and closer, pushing her closer to the edge. The rush below was almost too much to handle and Elsa fought to keep her eyes open for Anna, her mouth dropping open as a few last desperate cries escaped from her lips before she was gone.

Pools of black engulfed cerulean irises as Elsa's body jolted against Anna's, releasing into beautiful spasms of subsonic light. Anna watched Elsa drown in her teal blue orbs, the most wondrous look of ecstasy and bliss emblazoned across her fair features; eyes never breaking apart.

Anna brought her hips to a stop when Elsa's breathing began to slow, her hands rushing to hold Elsa's face.

"I love you. I love you," was all Elsa could say as she tried to catch her breath.

Untangling their legs, Anna helped Elsa lay next to her, positioning a pillow underneath her head and scooting up next to her.

Lifting a hand she interlaced her fingers with Elsa's as a shared smile turned into a soft kiss.

"That was perfect," Elsa whispered.

"It was."

"I may need an encore later," Elsa cooed. Darn if being pregnant didn't leave her always wanting more.

"As you wish," Anna whispered, sealing it with a kiss.


	25. Chapter 25

31 Weeks (7 months, third trimester)

The bright summer sun was already pouring through their bedroom window when Anna's alarm on her phone went off. Instead of setting it to the standard wake up tone she set it to _Having My Baby_ just to surprise Elsa and start the day off right.

She didn't even bother to turn it off and let it keep playing until Elsa shifted and slowly opened her eyes to see two bright blue-teal ones looking back at her in excitement. It took her a minute as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes but as soon as she caught a few of the lyrics she realized why Anna was so wide-eyed, especially for someone who wasn't normally a morning person.

There wasn't a more beautiful way to begin the day, next to the one she loved most and to wake up to a song that expressed how much Anna loved her glowing pregnant wife. Elsa settled deeper into her fluffy down pillow and stretched her legs with a rolling point of her toes, letting out a tiny _mmmm_ as a pleasant grin overtook her face. And just when she thought it couldn't possibly get any better, Anna began to sweetly sing a few of the lines while caressing Elsa's cheek, making the blonde's heart soar like a bird in flight.

 _Havin' my baby_

 _What a lovely way of sayin'_

 _How much you love me_

Anna was so caught up in Elsa and a certain sparkle in her sapphire eyes that she stopped singing momentarily. The sun illuminated her flowing blonde hair in such a way that it looked like it had an ethereal glow to it. Her smile was so wide it made her cheeks look like rosy red apples the higher they went as Anna continued to cosset her still sleepy-headed wife.

 _I can see it, face is glowin'_

 _I can see in your eyes_

 _I'm happy you know it_

The alarm only lasted so long and the minute the song ended Elsa laid her hand against Anna's cheek and kissed her ever so softly. The redhead's hand found its way to Elsa's belly under the covers and she swept her hand over a lower curve.

"Oh Anna, that was so sweet," she cooed, giving the redhead another soft kiss.

"I love you. This is exactly what I wanted. Just us, in love," Elsa whispered, completely blinded by the euphoria of the moment. There was so much love, more in that moment than she may have ever felt before. And it was just how she had hoped things would be. Her and Anna, hopelessly in love with each other as they awaited the arrival of their baby.

"I love you too but that alarm went off for a reason and we have to get moving if I'm going to make you breakfast before birth class," giving Elsa one last kiss before leaping out of bed to wrap her robe around herself.

"You're making breakfast? Anna I'm going to have at least five babies if this is how it's going to be." The lack of sarcasm made Anna wonder if she was half-joking or not.

"Yeah, that had to be the extra hormones they warned us about. Five babies Elsa?" flashing the blonde a look of disbelief as she laughed and tied her robe around her slender waist.

"Stop complaining about the hormones. You _know_ you've never had it so good. Or was I mistaken when you yelled my name like they were your dying words three nights in a row." Like a lioness on the prowl, Elsa had crawled on all fours to the edge of the bed, oozing a sultry sass she knew all too well the effect it had on Anna.

Teasing her, Anna leaned over and whispered in Elsa's ear in an equally sultry tone.

"I know one thing you want _even_ more than any carnal pleasure I could give you right here in this bed. _French. Toast._ "

Licking her lips, the thought of French toast was indeed so much more orgasmic than anything Elsa's hormone diluted mind could wish for.

"Oh God, French toast sounds _sooooo_ good," she said, wilting back down onto the bed at the thought of that warm butter and syrupy goodness melting in her mouth.

"With strawberries!" Anna added with a devilish smile, as if her very words were going to send Elsa over the edge.

Unable to respond with words, Elsa's mouth dropped open as she closed her eyes and made a sound of undeniable bliss. Anna's cooking seemed to have that effect on her lately.

Standing at the edge of the bed, Anna leaned over Elsa so that she was upside down over the blonde when she opened her eyes.

"That sound good?" Anna asked with a bouncing brow.

Elsa answered with yet _another_ kiss, this time Spider-Man style with their lips upside down against each other.

"Mmmm…marry me," Elsa sighed as a wave of hormones washed over her body.

"I would...but I'm _already_ married to this Norwegian snow fox...and she's... _having my baby!_ " Anna broke back into song as she sashayed towards the door, swinging the tie of her robe like a dancer on Broadway as she slipped out of view and skipped down stairs; singing the entire way.

"I'll call you when it's ready!" Anna shouted from downstairs.

Swimming in a sea of never-ending happiness, Elsa curled back up under the covers and decided to get an extra five minutes of rest, eyes closed with a grin as bright as the sun playing across her lips.

* * *

Poor Elsa loved nothing more than Anna's cooking but that morning she didn't have the room or time to eat more than one serving of the delicious French toast Anna had made.

Soon after breakfast it was time to get dressed and ready for birth class at the hospital. Elsa stood by the front door dressed in some comfortable yoga clothes, rubbing a hand around her belly as she read off the list of things they need for class to Anna.

"Water, pens, note from Dr. Bjorgman, registration confirmation, a yoga mat, and two pillows. There's a yoga mat in my car so I'll get that on the way out."

Anna scurried about the house gathering up all the items as she shoved them in her purse.

"Pillows? Are we going to a birth class or a camp out?" Anna huffed as she turned and proceeded to fetch the pillows from their bedroom.

"I don't know but if there's s'mores involved I'll be a happy camper." Elsa couldn't help but quietly chuckle at her little joke. It wasn't every day she was able to outwit Anna.

Sounding like a herd of elephants charging down the stairs, Anna returned with her arms wrapped around the pillows.

"No, don't use _our_ pillows. They're going to a germ infested hospital and heaven knows what we're doing with them. Get the guest ones, please," she asked with a bat of her lashes.

Growing impatient, Anna did an about-face and marched back up the stairs two steps at a time to retrieve the _proper_ pillows, worrying that they were now going to be late.

"Are _these_ to your liking your majesty?" Anna huffed sarcastically.

"As flattering as it is that you think of me as your queen, it loses a little something when you say it in that tone. And yes, those are perfect."

Impatient and frustrated from running around like a mad woman all over the house, Anna scoffed as she opened the door with a roll of her eyes and headed to the car.

Elsa hurried after Anna, who was already halfway to the car, and pulled her back by her elbow.

"Hey. Can we please not lose what started out as a beautiful morning over something as frivolous as some _pillows_? I do _not_ , I repeat, do _not_ want to go back to arguing and fighting again," she said sternly, the corners of her mouth dropping down.

"I'm sorry, I just don't want us to be late or anything. No fighting. That's all in the past, I promise."

"Thank you." Elsa smiled back in relief.

"Now let's go learn how to have a baby...without drugs for you...and without me going crazy while I try to help you survive this thing."

* * *

"Good morning everyone. I'm Jane Porter and I'll be your instructor for the next six weeks. I've given each couple a workbook, so let's open to page twelve if you will. This morning we are going to be discussing ways to prepare your body for natural birth. And don't worry, I'm going to give you plenty of tools to have in your arsenal for the big day."

Anna couldn't help but giggle to herself at the way Jane pronounced _arsenal_ in her charming British accent. Elsa didn't even seem to notice and already had her nose buried in the workbook, meticulously taking notes out in the margins.

"For the first part of the class we will be working on exercises to strengthen your body and prepare it for birth. Partners if you will, please lay out a yoga mat for mom and we'll get started with pelvic rocks."

Although Anna appreciated Jane saying partners instead of dads, she couldn't help but notice that the only person in the room who benefited from such a term was her. There were nine other couples in the room and they were the only same-sex couple. Not only that but she kept referring to Elsa as "the mom," which was both of them in their case. It not only made for an awkward situation but Anna was having a hard time keeping old feelings of jealousy and indifference at bay.

Elsa had checked but there weren't any classes specifically for same-sex couples, so Anna took a deep breath knowing this was the best they could do. This was what Elsa wanted and what was best for their baby so she stiffened up her pretty pink upper lip and put on a brave face as she tried to help Elsa get on all fours for the exercise.

"Okay moms, all you have to do for this exercise is arch and hollow your back but with the motion coming from the hips and not the back. If you only remember one exercise, let it be this one. This will not only tone your lower back and abdominal muscles but will also relieve pressure against your spine and blood vessels, as well as help your baby get into a nice position for entry down the birth canal. Partners, your job is to act as coach and give encouragement, maybe even rest your hand on mom's back to help her concentrate on her movements."

Scooting up closer on her knees, Anna laid her hand on the arch of Elsa's back and brought her face close to the blonde's.

"How we doing down here _mom_?" Anna asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Elsa rolled her eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. She too had noticed the use of that term and was already worried about how Anna was going to feel about being in a class full of dads.

"I feel like a cat," Elsa said as she continued to arch and round her back with fluid execution.

"Well, it looks good...just don't shrug your shoulders so much when you do it. I think it's supposed to be relaxing."

"I could get used to you giving me corrections."

Jane continued on and had each couple practice some squats before moving into a discussion about kegels, which gave Anna a seriously bad case of the church giggles and she had to cup her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing aloud while Elsa silently pleaded with her eyes for Anna to control herself.

The last part of the class focused on relaxation exercises and Anna was finally going to see what their good guest pillows were going to be used for. She listened to Jane intently, following her instructions to a tee as Elsa pleasantly took note of her efforts.

As the hour passed she was getting more and more into the role of the birth coach. It not only gave her something to sink her teeth into but it also gave her a purpose, something to strive for. Yes, Elsa was going to be the one birthing the baby but her entire job now depended on Anna and she was going to be the best damn birth coach Elsa or the hospital had ever seen.

"Now partners, if you will, please give mom a pillow for under her head and another for between her legs and help her find a comfortable side-lying position."

Doing exactly as she was told, Anna placed a pillow at the top of the yoga mat and helped Elsa lay on her left side, tucking another pillow between her legs and making sure she was comfortable. She didn't really look around to see what the other couples were doing because something about taking care of Elsa this way was so appealing to Anna. It was becoming harder for Elsa to get up and down in any way without Anna's help and being needed like that, having the chance to dote on and care for Elsa in that way was so bonding that she could even feel like they were being pulled towards each other in class. It amazed her how almost seven years later they could still manage to take each other's breath away and make their hearts beat a little faster.

"You comfortable?" Anna asked, checking for any signs of discomfort.

"Mhmm." Elsa was soaking up every bit of attention Anna gave her as she looked up at her dreamily.

"The main focus of this exercise is to become as relaxed as you possibly can. Take deep breaths and release any tension you're feeling. Scan your body for tightness or areas of stress and release them. Partners, pay attention to their body language, look at their face. Is it relaxed? Feel free to run your hands over mom's body, encouraging her to relax even more. If the face is tense, let them know which part of it needs to be relaxed."

Leaning into the pillow, Elsa closed her eyes and tried to do as Jane said and relax. Her hips were tight and she tried to focus on releasing the tension around her lower back as Anna massaged over her shoulder and down her back.

"Take a deep breath...and let it out. Your eyebrows are all scrunched up. Here."

Taking Elsa's face in her hands, Anna began to lightly run her thumbs over the arches of Elsa's brows, slowly coaxing them into a more relaxed state. When the lines around her brows had melted away, Anna moved onto Elsa's forehead and repeated the same movements, pushing aside any tightness and smoothing away the lines of stress.

Somewhere between relaxing and deep breathing Elsa felt a warm feeling pooling in her stomach and relaxed into it as it spread throughout her body. Tiny butterflies zipped up and down her chest and she was suddenly very aware of her breathing. It wasn't until a soft moan accidentally reverberated from her throat that she realized she was in fact aroused and quickly opened her eyes.

"You're enjoying this _way_ too much. I can tell," Anna said with a smirk on her gloating face as a seductive brow arched up at Elsa.

At the end of the class Elsa purposely took her time packing up their things so that they would be the last couple to leave. As they headed out the door she tapped Anna on the shoulder.

"Can you wait outside for me? For just a minute? I wanted to ask Jane something."

"Yeah I'll just be here." Anna leaned against the wall, arms full of pillows as she bent her knee up and propped her foot against the wall.

Back inside the room Jane was busy gathering her paperwork and extra workbooks at a table when Elsa re entered and approached her.

"Oh...ah, don't remind me...Ella?" Jane guessed, trying to remember Elsa's name.

"Elsa actually but I wanted to ask you something. My wife has been through a lot with this pregnancy and although the class is wonderful, I know she had to be uncomfortable being the only woman birth coach in the room. And it's vitally important to me, and her, that she feels included as much as possible as a co-mom, if you know what I mean."

Jane's eyes widened slightly with interest as she waited for Elsa to continue.

"What I'm asking is...if you or anyone else teaches this class on a private basis. Cost isn't an issue, I just want what's best for her."

Jane smiled with a sense of understanding and pulled a card from her pocket.

"I have on occasion taught these classes from a couple's home. If you're interested, I'll write my rate of the back of my card and I'd be more than happy to schedule something."

Jane proceeded to flip the card over and write her information on the back. Elsa's face stretched into a combination of jubilation and overwhelming happiness as she nearly started crying at Jane's willingness to be so understanding and flexible.

Jane popped the cap back on her pen and handed her card to Elsa who took it and immediately clutched it against her heart, knowing how happy it was going to make Anna.

"Thank you." Elsa whispered with glee as she turned and headed towards the door.

"I'll be in touch and set something up. Again, thank you. You have no idea how much this means to her...and me." With a soft smile and a wave, Elsa slipped out the door and back into the hallway where Anna was sitting on the floor impatiently slumped against the wall.

"Ugh, finally. Ready?" Anna whined as she lazily scraped herself up off the floor.

"Yes." Elsa's eyes were wild with excitement and she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"What happened in there? You're all wound up, in a good way."

"I got her to come to our house to teach the class. Just you and me and no other couples."

"That's great...but why?"

"Because I don't want you to feel uncomfortable about being the only parent coach in there who is also the mother. Anna, there were all dads except you and given everything that's happened I wanted something different and Jane is willing to help us."

Elsa moved closer, leaning into the pillows Anna had clutched against her torso.

"This class is for all of us not just me. I love you...let me do this for you." Her hand ran down the side of Anna's hair, taking a braid between her fingers and giving Anna a soft kiss of persuasion.

"That does make me feel better. And I won't lie, it did bother me a little. Thank you."

* * *

The results of the glucose test had come in and like a couple of love birds, Anna and Elsa again found themselves on Dr. Bjorgman's couch snuggled close together; holding hands while Anna's thumb drew little circles around Elsa's knuckles.

"Hi guys. So, really quickly because I have some other stuff I want to get today. Your glucose test results show everything is normal, no signs of gestational diabetes."

Elsa let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and squeezed Anna's hand a little tighter.

"Also, this is kind of unexpected but the other doctor in our office, the back-up physician in your case, is going out-of-town for two weeks and you won't get a chance to meet with him later so I thought I'd let him take over for today. That alright?"

They looked at each other, feeling slightly uncomfortable but both asking themselves how bad could it be.

"It's fine with me," Anna answered optimistically. She liked meeting new people so it wasn't as big of a deal to her as it probably was to Elsa.

"Yeah I suppose we can get it out of the way today. You're going to be around for my due date anyways so, it's just a formality right?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

"Yes and no. I always try to be there for my patients but you never know with babies. Things happen so just in case we want to be prepared and you don't want to be meeting the back-up doctor on the day of."

Neither said a word and simply nodded in agreement.

"Good so, I'll send him in and then we can get started on your exam." Dr. Bjorgman tried to give them a reassuring smile, noticing how they both looked a little nervous as he left the room.

Anna could feel Elsa's hand sweating against hers and gave it a loving squeeze back to help ease her mind.

"It's only for today Elsa. I'll be right here so relax and just enjoy meeting a new face."

A loud knock rapped against the door and both women jumped in fright.

"Good afternoon ladies, I'm doctor Hans Westergard. Pleased to meet you both." In one hand the man held Elsa's medical chart, clutched against a folded arm with the other stretched out at Elsa to shake her hand.

Suddenly Elsa found herself unable to move, as if his very presence turned them into similarly charged magnets pushing away from each other. A sickening feeling swarmed the pit of her stomach and she knew that name and those sideburns seemed oddly familiar. Begrudgingly, she held out the tips of her fingers as he coldly shook her hand.

"You must be-"

His eyes quickly checked the name on the chart.

"-Elsa," shaking her hand so quickly he hadn't even bothered to make eye contact, much to Elsa's relief.

"And...oh my, who is this ball of sunshine? You must be Elsa's...sister?" he asked in a disgustingly chipper tone.

Anna was taken aback by how clean-cut and fetching Hans appeared. Not that she went for men but she made a secret promise to herself that if she ever came back as a straight woman she'd definitely go for Hans. And bonus, he was a doctor too.

Their eyes locked as they smiled longingly at each other and Elsa instantly felt like she was going to throw up.

She looked at him, really looked at him. Bushy thick sideburns that were a mustache away from being mutton chops lined the sides of his narrow face. Perfectly coiffed auburn hair that for once made her shudder at the sight of hair as red as the setting sun. The way he looked at Anna made her skin crawl, hoping the blush on his cheeks was rosacea and not some feeble attempt to flatter her wife.

"WIFE! She's m-my wife," Elsa shouted, quickly trying to recover with a more composed tone.

"Looks like somebody's got a bad case of the-"

"-hormones!" Anna interjected.

"That's what I was going to say!" Hans said merrily.

Elsa shook her head in disbelief. This was _not_ happening. The two of them looked like they were going to break into song at any moment and now they were making jokes at her expense, which made her fume with a fire so great she swore steam was escaping from her ears. Though neither of them seemed to notice since they were too busy giggling and making ridiculous faces at each other.

"What's this? You have red hair too!" Hans ran his thumb and index finger down a strand of Anna's copper hair and Elsa was pretty sure that violated some sort of doctor patient code.

When the two were done _bonding_ over their hair color they turned their eyes back to Elsa to find her with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face, prompting both of them to quickly clear their throats and resume a respectable physical distance from one another.

"So…" Hans said, directing his attention back to Elsa. She couldn't help but notice his entire facial expression and tone changed once he interacted with her.

"...Elsa. _Elsa Arendelle_." The way he said her name confirmed her previous inclination. It was in fact him and he recognized her in return.

"Let's talk a little bit about your birth plan. Just in case I do have to tend to your delivery, we can go in knowing what to expect." He pulled out a small note pad and pen and began to take notes, continuing to avoid eye contact with Elsa as much as possible.

"W-well, we haven't worked out all the details but I'm planning on a natural birth and-" quickly cut off by Hans.

"I'm sorry did you say _natural_? Is she always this cavalier?" he turned and asked Anna with a revolting smirk on his face.

"You realize there's no medal for natural birth. Women get epidurals all the time and with your frame I wouldn't be surprised if you were only able to deliver via c-section." He waved his pen up and down at Elsa, gesturing to her svelte body.

Perturbed to all hell, she pulled herself together and came back with a furry. He didn't like her anyways so what was she gaining by coddling him?

"Until we actually come face to face in that delivery room, it isn't really your call and I'd appreciate it if you kept your comments about my plan, that you asked me about, to yourself, seeing as how I'm not seeking your professional opinion in any manner about me, my wife, my baby, or my body. Clear?" she said sharply.

Hans went back to his note pad and continued to write.

" _Natural birth_. Got it. What else?" he said blandly.

"Anna would like to assist in catching the baby and cutting the cord and be the one who hands her to me. Also, I'd prefer delayed cord clamping. In addition, no eye-drops or eye ointment, no vitamin K shot, and no harsh rubbing to clean the baby off and she stays with us at all times. No nursery. And we're also doing cord blood banking."

"What are you some kind of hippie? These interventions are around for a reason and you wouldn't want something to go wrong and have that on your hands would you?"

"Of course not. That's why I've researched these decisions to no end and consulted with my _personal_ doctor. I love my daughter and that's why I'm making sure she has the best care possible. Write _that_ on your little pad," motioning to his note pad with a condescending point of her finger.

"Right then." He clicked his pen and tucked the pad back into his pocket.

"Before we begin the exam I'll have to request that you put a gown on," he said, walking over to a cabinet filled with neatly folded hospital gowns.

"A gown?! I haven't had to wear a gown the entire seven months I've been coming here." She had a feeling he was just doing this out of spite but was still thankful that Anna seemed to be oblivious to the underlying context of their bantering.

"It's standard procedure. Not all of us are so lackadaisical about the rules. If you will, I don't have all day."

He handed her the hideous powder blue gown with red and blue diamonds scattered across the fabric, hating her signature color for the first time in her life.

"I'll be back in a moment while you get undressed. Anna, would you care for some water or anything while you wait?"

Elsa scoffed as she unfolded the gown. Here she was pregnant and he hadn't even bothered to offer her anything other than a ghastly gown. And what was with his fascination with Anna? He was like Jekyll and Hyde right before their very eyes only Anna was too blind to see it, being fawned over usually did that to people.

"Oh, no thank you. I'm fine actually." She smiled at Hans with a hint of a giggle as their eyes met for a brief moment. Elsa looked on jaw dropped and wide-eyed, glowering at them with condemnation as her brows dipped into a sharp V.

"Well, okay then," Hans replied as he shut the door with a slimy smile.

"Wow, I love Dr. Bjorgman but as a backup I gotta say he's not too bad." Anna remarked with an almost vacant look in her eyes as she continued to stare at the door Hans had just exited from.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me. I've never kn-met anyone who made my skin crawl so quickly. And what is with you?"

"What do you mean?" Anna shot back.

"What do I _mean_? You're all googly-eyed over him. Somehow the moment he entered the room I managed to disappear." Elsa shucked off her clothing, neatly folding and placing it against a nearby chair before slipping her arms into the gown and tying it behind her neck and back.

"He has great character and I don't know, I feel really comfortable around him. He's so nice," her eyes again drifting off into some fantasy world.

" _Character_? You met him five minutes ago. How could you possibly make an accurate judgement of character concerning a man you just met?"

"It's easy when you don't have hormones affecting you attitude," Anna chided more harshly than she had intended.

Even though they had a difference of opinion about Dr. Westergard, the conversation had held a more playful teasing tone up until that moment when Anna's comment hit Elsa like a bullet. It hurt but she didn't immediately strike back knowing there was a sliver of truth to the statement, probably why it hurt so badly to begin with. Though Anna had no idea what was really going on and Elsa wasn't about to tell her, especially right there in the office.

"Anna, I don't like him and even if you do, it doesn't mean I have to." As if he had been listening outside Hans returned just as she finished her sentence.

"Well, can't say that it complements your complexion but at least it makes my job easier," Hans smirked, referring to the gown.

Even if Elsa did in fact detest the gown, she had been told her entire life that blue was the perfect complement to her fair skin and sky blue eyes. And that was coming from the finest dressers in all of Norway. What the hell did Hans know about what looked good on her?

"Lay back and place your feet in the stirrups please so that we can get a look at your fundal height."

 _Fundal height?_ He spoke so clinically she could have sworn he did so merely because he loved the sound of his own voice. She much more preferred Dr. Bjorgman's _"let's check your uterus and see how baby is,"_ line much more.

Feeling like she was being positioned into some sort of medieval torture device, Elsa begrudgingly placed the heels of her feet against the icy cold stirrups, making sure to keep her knees together and remain as covered as possible. The last thing she wanted was him catching an uninvited glimpse of her naked body under the gown.

She leaned back against the exam table and without saying a word Hans began to drive a flattened hand and outstretched thumb along of the top of her uterus just under her rib cage, wincing in pain as the touch was more forceful than she'd been expecting. He inched his way along the top curve of her uterus, pushing more firmly each time he shoved his hand into her body cavity until she couldn't hold back the pain any longer.

"Ow!" she cried, flinching as a sharp pain radiated through her ribs.

"Your rib cage is so compact and inset that it's difficult to get an accurate measurement. You may feel some slight pressure and uncomfortableness."

 _No shit!_ she screamed to herself.

Hans readjusted the placement of his hands and this time leaned his body into it as he wiggled his hand between her ribs and uterus, making Elsa's face twist with a gut wrenching pain.

"Oh God, Anna! Ow!" she wailed, trying to gasp for air as Hans dug his hand deeper, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"I'd say you're measuring at about...31 weeks," Hans declared as he removed his hands, leaving Elsa to slump against the table in exhaustion as she clutched the area of his invasion.

"Anything to report or concerns you're having?" He asked with his back to her as he scribbled some notes in her chart.

Elsa was too busy trying to catch her breath to even begin to reply.

"Um...oh God that hurt, I-I've been having some light contractions but every time they happen she pushes against them and I can't tell what's going on. It feels like Braxton-Hicks but I can't be sure."

"If you're having Braxton-Hicks you could also be dilating and possibly in early labor. Perhaps we should take a look to check if you're dilating."

Hans had turned his back to face the counter while he was talking and when he turned back around he was holding a speculum in his hand, much to Elsa's horror. The other hand came to rest on her knee as Hans began to push her legs apart and lower himself onto the stool below.

"If I may…" pushing her legs further apart.

"No, you may not!" Elsa shut her legs together so quickly Hans barely pulled his face away in time to miss getting clocked in the head by her knees. Crossing her feet at the ankle Elsa had had enough and sat up, flustered but none the less taking back control over the situation.

"I'm sorry, I understand that because you're _on-call_ that this is supposed to be a chance to-"

Words failed her as she didn't know what in the world was even happening anymore let alone what the point of the meeting was originally supposed to be.

"-get acquainted with one another but if I really need to be examined I'd prefer that it be by my own doctor that I've already established a professional relationship with."

Her eyes were steel and she looked at him with the most serious of expressions, legs locked together tighter than a sailor's knot as Hans stood and crossed his arms. His brows furrowed, making a crease between them as his emerald eyes narrowed. Agitated that she'd thwarted his ability to maintain the upper hand in their little power struggle, he reluctantly peeled the latex gloves from his hands and discarded them into the trash as he adjusted his lab coat and strode to the door.

"I'll see what I can do. You're not the only patient here today you know," His words dripping with a crude undertone as he closed the door behind him.

"Elsa, what's the big deal? He's a doctor. You get exams all the time, even before you got pregnant. What is with you?"

"What's with me? What's with you? I feel like I'm intruding on your date or something," deflecting Anna's statement with well-timed precision.

"That's ridiculous! I am simply being friendly. I don't know if you know this but I happen to be a _people person_ and people _naturally_ seem to like me."

Elsa shook her head as she knew exactly what was going on but simply couldn't explain it to Anna at the moment.

"I think you're jealous," Anna said.

"Ha! Of what? My gay wife and some doctor with an inferiority complex?"

"Um...yeah. You're just cranky because he's giving me more attention. Which, can you blame him? I'm pretty fun to be around."

Once again Hans poked his head back in at the most inconvenient time to interrupt.

"Dr. Bjorgman will be right in. And Elsa, I _really_ do wish you all the best and hope that everything works out according to plan and nothing happens so that we don't have cross paths again, for your sake."

She nodded and gave a slight smile as he closed the door. The way he said that gave her a sudden sense of dread. As if his very words had the power to curse her perfect birth plan with his smugness.

There was another knock at the door and Dr. Bjorgman entered the room.

"Hey I heard somebody was having some Braxton-Hicks?" he said in his gentle and strong voice as he walked over to stand beside Elsa at the table. Just the sight of him made her feel at ease and she couldn't help herself when she wrapped her arms around his barrel of a chest.

"Please don't ever make me have to use him as a backup. For the next ten weeks you're not even allowed to leave the neighborhood. Do you understand? I can't have this baby without you."

Surprised by Elsa's sudden outpouring of affection, Dr. Bjorgman simply patted her on the back, giving in to hug her back when she refused to budge. Watching this all from the couch Anna burst out in laughter.

"And _you_ were jealous of me? Look at you, you're wrapped in his arms begging him not to leave you. Saying how you can't have this baby without him. Get a room Elsa!"

Shockingly aware that she was indeed pressed against her doctor in a rather firm embrace, Anna wasn't sure which happened faster; the blush that flurried across Elsa's face or the speed at which she retracted her entire body back onto the table.

"Relax. He's a giant teddy bear, no one blames you. I'm just giving you a hard time. Sorry to embarrass you Dr. Bjorgman but she needed a taste of her own medicine."

"Anyways, Braxton-Hicks. Stand up for me," He said, getting back to the point.

Elsa swung her legs off the side of the table and slid down to stand in front of Dr. Bjorgman.

"Well, it doesn't look like she's dropped so you wouldn't be dilating yet. Any sign of your mucus plug showing?"

"No."

"Then it probably is Braxton-Hicks and your body is just practicing for the big day. The reason why she pushes on it is because she seems to be very territorial and likes her space in there so she's just fighting against the tightening of the uterus there. I should warn you that she's probably not going to change once she's born. I've been doing this along time and baby's behavior in the womb is pretty much how they are as kids. She seems to know what she wants and is very persistent about getting her way. You're going to have your hands full but nothing I'm sure you two can't manage." He smiled and gave Elsa a pat on the arm, shifting his eyes to also flash Anna the same warm smile.

"I apologize for Dr. Westergard today. He's a brilliant physician but isn't exactly known for his bedside manner. I'm not planning on going anywhere around your due date otherwise I wouldn't have taken you on as a patient."

"Not that it matters what I think but I like you both. But I'm not the one having the baby."

"Yes, you _are_ having the baby just not physically. You'll be there for every minute of every contraction and your job is actually more important than mine because no one except you will be able to get Elsa through this. Speaking of Elsa, you can get out of that ugly old thing and get dressed back here if you'd like."

Sensing Anna needed a little cheering up he came over to the couch and sat on the coffee table across from her while Elsa got dressed behind a changing screen.

"You want to catch her when she comes out, right?"

Anna nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And _you're_ going to cut the cord and hand her to Elsa, right?"

A huge smile stretched across Anna's face as she imagined that magical moment.

"I'm only there to assist you but _you're_ going to be the first one to hold your baby when she enters the world and _you're_ going to be the one who places her in Elsa's arms. And when you see your wife's face as she looks at your baby for the first time...it's something you'll never forget."

The sudden urge to hug him hit Anna like a lightning bolt and now it was _her_ who had her arms wrapped around him, quietly whispering _thank you_ against his shoulder.

Elsa stepped out from behind the screen and adjusted her flowing maxi dress.

"Get a _room_ Anna," she playfully mocked, slipping on her shoes.

Anna didn't move and simply waved a dismissive hand at Elsa, head still burrowed against Dr. Bjorgman's shoulder as he gave Elsa a smile and a shrug before giving a small _come here_ wave; inviting her to join the hugfest Anna refused to let end.

Grinning like fool, Elsa skipped over and nuzzled herself under Dr. Bjorgman's outstretched arm and they all snuggled up together.

"This is so unethical, I can't even begin to tell you. But you two are quickly becoming my favorite patients."

* * *

The drive home was awkward to say the least and Elsa knew she'd have to talk to Anna as soon as they got home. Lost in thought she gazed out the window at the passing trees, listening to Anna hum along to the radio and feeling incredibly unlucky for the unbelievable coincidence that had occurred during their appointment. Why did the world have to be so cruel with its random twists of fate and irony?

As soon as they walked in Anna went straight to the kitchen to make something for lunch, assuming Elsa was probably just as if not more hungry than her.

She was already halfway done making a sandwich when Elsa slowly meandered her way into the kitchen to join her, having taken her sweet time getting there. Placing the last piece of lettuce on her towering sandwich, Anna looked up to see Elsa with a look of turmoil on her face, doing that self-hug thing she did when she had something she needed to get off her chest but was too nervous to do so. She'd been so quiet on the ride home and Anna could only guess it had something to do with Hans.

"Hungry?" Anna asked, pointing to the spread of sandwich making supplies scattered across the island. She'd already learned her lesson about pushing Elsa so she just tried to help get the conversation going.

"Anna, I need to talk to you about what happened at Dr. Bjorgman's today. About Dr. Westergard actually." She had been standing on the opposite side of the island but moved to stand next to Anna instead to avoid any barriers.

"And about how you hate him?"

"No. Yes, I don't like him but no, I'm being serious. I need to explain myself to you because there was more going on today than you realize."

"Okay," disregarding her sandwich at the sound of the earnestness in Elsa's voice.

Anna waited apprehensively as Elsa struggled to figure out just where to begin, sighing pensively as she tightened her grip around herself.

"How many men were you ever with before you knew you only liked women?"

Puzzled and completely caught off guard, Anna tried to reflect on Elsa's question; debating if she should give her an actually number or a vague estimate. Vague estimate was probably more appropriate, she thought.

"I don't know. A few. But that was back in high school."

Anna waited again as Elsa drew in a slow breath and released her arms, allowing them to fall to her sides.

"Now ask me the same question."

She couldn't help but feel like Elsa was leading them down a path she knew she probably didn't want to go down. Talking about how many people your wife had slept with wasn't exactly her favorite choice of topic but here they were.

"How many men were you with before you knew you only liked women?" she asked in an uncertain staccato-like manner, wincing before Elsa even had the chance to reply.

"One."

Like a hammer the word hit Anna over the head and everything started to fall into place, much to her chagrin.

"Wait, are you telling me what I think you're telling me?" her face dropping from a grimace into one of shock.

"You slept with Hans?!"

Palms slapped against the sides of her face as she tried to block the mental images assaulting her mind.

"Anna, it was long time ago and _really_ isn't what you might think it was...at all."

Still shell-shocked, Anna's mouth remained open as she tried to get it to work properly and spit out a reply.

"Well now I need to know _everything_! Did you date? How many times? How did this happen? Yuck wait, maybe I don't wanna know. Oh my God." Her hands wrapped around her stomach and she suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.

"It's not like that. _At all_. Which is probably why it's a memory I cringe at if anything. First of all, I lived a very sheltered life and haven't actually been with many people to begin with, you know that. So when I got to college that's when I had the chance to... _explore_ that more. And it's a simple case of I was at a party, had too much to drink, met a guy from the medical school and one thing led to another. It wasn't good and it wasn't memorable for any other reason in that it cemented my preference for women. And when people started to talk he kind of got labeled as the guy who turned me gay, even though I already kind of was before, and I guess he's obviously still pretty resentful about it."

"And now he's our back-up doctor for the birth of our baby. He just blew like fifty cute points. I _thought_ I liked him till I found out he _fucked_ my wife!"

"Anna...don't," Elsa pleaded, not wanting things to get worse than they needed to be.

"Don't what?! Have a perfectly normal reaction?"

"It's no different that running into your ex at the grocery store, which did in fact happen remember? Only I'll grant you that she wasn't next in line to deliver our baby but that is in no way my fault."

Anna appeared to be cooling down a little and they both took a deep breath together. Why couldn't they ever catch a break?

"I actually have something else to tell you that I've _never_ told you, only it should make you feel better not worse."

Rolling her eyes Anna couldn't wait to hear what would fly out of Elsa's mouth next.

"Fine," Anna replied flatly.

"Do you remember _our_ first time together?" Elsa's tone was much lighter now as she couldn't help but blush at the memory.

"Yeah. It was at my old apartment." Now they were both blushing. Hans long forgotten.

"And what did we do?"

"Uh...let's see. We went to dinner and a movie that night, only I can't remember what movie because we made out in the balcony for most of the time. And finally, after making me wait for almost a month...we made love for the first time. And it was actually really beautiful and not just for a first time." Anna smiled and laughed to herself.

"Mmhm. And it was really special to me too for obvious reasons, but that night…

Elsa stepped closer and held Anna's hands in her own, caressing the tops with her thumbs as she smiled softly.

"...that night was the first time I had ever...reached orgasm with somebody else."

"Wait you mean like _ever_?" amazed by the fact that someone like Elsa, whom Anna had made do the very thing they were talking about three times in a row just the other day, never experienced one with another person until _after_ she graduated from college.

"Well not the first time _ever._ I got to know my own body first but yes. When you and I were together for the first time it was the first time I climaxed with another person. _Ever_."

Anna suddenly looked like she'd unexpectedly won some sort of coveted award, which she kind of did in a way. And just as Elsa had said she was feeling better, not worse.

"Oh my God really? You didn't have an orgasm with someone until you were twenty-one years old?"

"Well like I said, I led a sheltered life. But all the other times I was too nervous or put too much pressure on myself trying to please _them_ and not me. Every time I was with someone I got in my head and it never happened. But with you...it was completely different. I was so lost in you. You were so beautiful and I knew I loved you more than I'd ever loved anyone else. And when it happened...it was so amazing, so perfect. And if you think about it, I've never been with anyone else but you since then so that makes you the only one to have ever been able to do that to me."

Oddly thrilled at Elsa's confession, Anna lightly clapped her hands in excitement and bounced off the heels of her feet.

"Besides yourself, but still. I feel so... _honored_. I can't believe I never knew that. Which looking back makes more sense because I just assumed you'd always been that vocal in bed. I mean you would have thought you were in church the way you kept saying _oh my God._ "

Elsa further blushed as she laughed knowing _vocal_ was an understatement. Anna rocked her to her very core that night and she'd been doing so ever since.

"So I hope that you're not mad at me about something that happened almost nine years ago and also know why today was so uncomfortable. And I hope to God I never have to see him again."

"I mean I don't like that my brain forced me to have a visual of you two but I can't hold something you did before you met me against you. And like you said, it didn't mean anything. And _then_ I also got that extra boost of confidence knowing I'm the only one you every really _opened up to_. Wait, that sounds wrong. Uh…took you to the edge of glory, to quote Lady Gaga."

Elsa giggled as she circled her arms around Anna's waist and kissed her on the forehead, thanking her lucky stars this whole thing hadn't gone as bad as she feared it would.

"Exactly. To the edge indeed."


	26. Chapter 26

32 weeks (8 months, third trimester)

"We've got so much to do," Anna bemoaned as she and Elsa surveyed their half finished nursery.

Two months to go and the only thing they had for the baby was a nursing chair, a swing, and a decorative rug. But at the least the room was painted.

"And we still have to register. Tiana and Merida said they want to send out invitations soon." Elsa's mind was already trying to frantically make a list of everything they needed but figured it was easier to just list the things they _didn't_ need to get.

At the beginning of the pregnancy it felt like they had all the time in the world to prepare. Now with the due date creeping closer it seemed like they might run out of time if anything and that was if the baby didn't come early. And how did one tiny person need so much stuff?

"We need to create a plan of attack. We're not going to be able to get everything in one weekend but we need to go Saturday to tackle at least some of it. Especially furniture. I mean we have nothing. Where are we going to put the baby? Where are we going to change the baby? We don't even have diapers. We don't even have a name. I need to sit down." Elsa had worried herself into a tizzy until she felt so lightheaded that she collapsed in the chair, head tilted all the way back so that she was staring at the stark white ceiling, finding comfort in its bland monotony.

This wasn't normally like Elsa. She was always so cool and calm, on top of everything and more organized than anyone Anna had ever known. With her energy being drained by the pregnancy she had just let everything slide but now it was mounting and she could feel the stress starting to vibrate throughout her body.

Rocking in the nursery chair with her hand pressed to her forehead, she tried to fathom how they were going to get their home ready in time for baby.

"We already have an idea of what we want. I've seen all the little circles and hearts in the baby catalogs you've got in your office. We just have to go and get it," Anna exclaimed with a burst of encouragement. There really was no job too big for her.

Kneeling between Elsa's legs, Anna lightly rubbed the top of her thighs as she helped devise a plan to calm her poor fretting wife.

"You make a list of everything we need, one for us and one for stuff you want to put on the registry, and we'll spend _all day_ Saturday shopping. We'll even go buy some of the stuff you've had your eye on for a while like the diaper bag and the layette at Nordstrom," Anna said as she continued to calm Elsa's nerves with her soothing hands, her body mellowing at the touch. With hormones threatening to go haywire at any given moment, Anna pretty much knew how to handle the situation. Give Elsa any and everything she wanted. No questions asked.

"Really?" her voice more chipper at the very mention of shopping.

"Really. You deserve to be _spoiled_ ," Anna replied, playfully tickling Elsa's sides, just to see that smile and melt at the sound of her giggle.

"But what about all the stuff you want to get?" cocking her head to one side.

"Okay, we'll go to the mall in the morning and Babies'R'Us in the afternoon to get everything else. Deal?" Anna nodded and held out her hand to shake on it.

"Deal."

* * *

It was Saturday morning and as Anna hopped in the car and started the engine she had again forgotten to wait for Elsa who was trying to lift herself into the passenger seat; her still thin arms nearly buckling as she attempted to launch herself off the ledge on the side of the vehicle.

"I'm sorry I should have helped you," Anna said remorsefully, reaching out her hand to pull Elsa in the rest of the way.

"It's okay. My four pound passenger is weighing me down a little more each day," she huffed, plunking herself down in the seat as she caught her breath. Anna would have thought Elsa had just run around the block based on how hard she was breathing, but then again she did have a baby jamming everything up into her lungs so that probably had something to do with her stamina, or lack thereof.

"Pottery Barn Kids, Nordstrom, and then Babies'R'Us, correct?" Anna counted off the stores on her fingers as she ran the itinerary by Elsa for final approval.

"Yes. And somewhere in there lunch. And smoothies. And chocolate. And-" Thinking about all the delectable things the mall had to offer was making Elsa's mouth water already.

"I get it. You're craving the entire food court. We'll get you whatever you want as soon as we get there."

Anna flashed Elsa an exuberant smile as she slipped on her sunglasses, fluffed her bangs, and pulled out of the driveway, still loving every minute of her new set of wheels.

While Anna headed towards the freeway ramp Elsa fiddled around with the satellite radio trying to find a good station.

"Ooh I love this song. She starts dancing every time it's on," Elsa chirped giddily as she ran a hand over her belly to see if the baby did indeed recognize the song.

Learning about the baby's taste in music was quickly becoming one of Elsa's favorite things about driving to and from work. Songs the baby liked were met with little twitches and kicks, leaving Elsa to daydream about what all she must be doing in there. Songs the baby didn't like made Elsa feel like her stomach had turned into a human washing machine as the baby tried to turn and get as far away from the sound as possible, usually retreating towards her favorite little spot just under the right side of Elsa's ribcage. Some days the baby pushed against the area so hard that Elsa could actually see the outline of the baby's back protruding through her belly.

"What song is this?" Anna scrunched her brows together trying to see if she recognized the artist but had no idea who it was.

"You haven't heard this? It's _I Will Never Let You Down_ by Rita Ora." Elsa was already lost in a total girl moment and began singing along with dramatic hair flips and was making sexy faces to Anna and the side mirror of the car. Anna couldn't quite tell if she was just really into the song or if Elsa was trying to see if she could cause an accident with her irresistibility.

"When you're feeln' low on love, I'll be what you're dreaming of. Oh, oh, I will never let you down." Elsa continued to sing with a look of pure joy etched across her face.

Having eight months of baby in the front of her didn't stop Elsa in any way from dancing in her seat like a shining star; eyes closed as she sang along in a voice that Anna swore was better than the actual song itself. Keeping her eyes on the road was proving to be most difficult as she watched Elsa roll her shoulders back in her adorable little summer maternity dress; hair down and flowing like a sheet of silk, held together by two braids from each side of her head that were clasped in the back like a mythical Nordic goddess.

And then like clockwork Elsa started with the flirty eyes, stealing glances up through those fanning lashes and Anna could already see herself trying to explain the situation to the police officer as there was no way she could resist Elsa's charm once she batted those lashes and watched her lips make those beautiful curves around the words as she sang.

 _The freeway was a bad idea. I should have taken the back roads. Focus Anna._

Thankfully everyone made it safe and sound to the mall and spent an obscene amount of precious shopping time mindlessly driving around the parking garage looking for a spot. They eventually found one and then it was Anna who was trying to keep up with Elsa as she trotted towards the mall.

Her big blue eyes lit up at the sight of the mall entrance, thrilled to pieces that this day had finally arrived. She had her plastic in tow and was ready to melt every single card in her wallet during their first major shopping trip for baby stuff. She'd spent months planning everything from the nursery furniture to picking out all the other baby essentials that they needed and now it was time to make it all become a reality.

Anna caught up with Elsa's fervent strides and linked arms with her in hopes of weighing her down as she beelined her way to Pottery Barn Kids to kick the day off with furniture.

"Did you bring your tablet?" Anna panted, trying to maintain Elsa's pace.

"Of course I did." Elsa had loaded everything she wanted from her design boards onto her tablet as well as a list of everything she wanted to get at the mall that day.

The front of the store was enough to send anyone into sugar shock over how cute and adorable all the merchandise was. Anna attempted to stop and look at a train set they had set up at the front of the store but was quickly dragged away by Elsa who continued to make her way to the furniture section in the back.

"This is it. This is the set I want to get. Do you like it?" Elsa laid a gentle hand on the side of a beautiful off-white crib that was sitting amongst a matching changing table and dresser. Her eyes were so bright and wide, the happiest Anna had seen her in a long time. She had really evolved into this even more wonderful woman who was going to be the most loving and caring mother ever. Although the pregnancy had brought out a crassness in Elsa at times, it had also brought out a more confident and nurturing side to her as well. Anna stood motionless in the middle of a herd of baby cribs, awestruck by Elsa's radiant presence before her.

"Anna? Are you listening?" Elsa snapped her fingers in front of Anna's freckled nose to help bring her back to reality.

"Huh...oh, yeah. I love it if it's the set you want."

Unable to jump with excitement, Elsa instead bounced on the balls of her feet like a delicate ballerina ready to spring into action, biting her bottom lip with excitement.

"Great! I'm going to over to the register to place the order and arrange for delivery. You can go play if you want now." Her eyes motioned over to the toys at the front of the store.

" _Play?_ Elsa, I'm not a child," Anna countered, rolling her eyes at the blonde.

"I know you really want to go play with that train set and test out the little play kitchens in the girls section. It's okay. I won't tell," she snickered with a smile.

"For your information, I was going to look at the stuffed animals...and _then_ the train set," playfully darting out her tongue out at Elsa as she scampered off to the toy area of the store.

* * *

Six Godiva truffles, four chocolate dipped strawberries, and one peach smoothie later the pair were jaunting off towards Nordstrom. Elsa was in such an unusually good mood and was still beaming as she teasingly played with the straw of her smoothie while riding up the escalator a step ahead Anna, completely infatuated with the redhead and the way her shirt crept up her stomach just enough to reveal the tiniest glimpse of her belly button.

"Okay I know you like shopping, especially for baby stuff but is there something else going on? You and your straw are getting awfully friendly there."

"I don't know I'm just... _really_ enjoying being with you today for some reason." Elsa's fingers spider-walked their way across the handrail and up Anna's arm as a mischievous grin continued to tug at the corners of her mouth.

"Could it be because we're filling our home with baby stuff and we're finally getting to bond over it and enjoy the romance of pregnancy for once without hormones or other craziness getting in the way?"

"Yeah, I think it's probably that," Elsa said as she bit the end of her straw and took another seductive sip. The belly button wasn't helping either. Elsa wasn't sure if she wanted to kiss or tickle it but she was going to make sure she did one or both by the end of the day.

"Well congratulations. You've made me jealous of a straw."

Elsa just smiled coyly as she stepped off the escalator and re linked arms with Anna and headed towards the store, grabbing by her shoulders and giving her a generous kiss, warming her cool tongue against Anna's without a care in the world.

"Whoa turbo, we're in public." Anna redirected Elsa back towards the store and pulled her along, still playing with that infernal straw in her mouth.

After a two more escalator rides, one in which Anna raced up one running the opposite direction, they made it to the kids section and Elsa moseyed her way to the elaborate rack of neatly organized diaper bags in the back. In fact to Anna it looked like the holy grail of diapers bags as the display had a fancy spotlight and everything.

When Anna finally caught up with her, Elsa already had the boxy damask print bag over her shoulder with a grin that stretched from ear to ear as she skipped over to show Anna her new prized possession.

"Did you fall in love with something there?" It was refreshing to see Elsa so excited over diaper bags and cribs. Somewhere in that willowy body had been a girl dying to be a mom all along and she was finally making her desires known, through shopping but still she was thrilled.

Anna looked at the price tag and jerked her hand back as if the tag itself has seared her fingertips with the burning heat of its triple digit price.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked puzzled.

"It's $200...for a diaper bag," Anna said with a gulp.

"You said I could get whatever I wanted and now you're making me feel guilty." Dismayed at Anna's lack of enthusiasm, Elsa felt like her bubble had suddenly burst.

The pout on her lips made Anna quickly rethink her words. She would have given Elsa anything, said yes to her a million times if it meant keeping in her in this most glorious mood and far away from the storm that wasn't far enough behind them yet. She pulled Elsa close and their eyes met, fluttering blues searched Anna's aquamarines as she summoned the words to correct her mistake.

"Your whole life your talent went unrecognized and you suffered at his hands for it. And now you're a brilliant architect who works harder than anyone I've ever known. And soon the whole world will know how truly talented you are. You've earned every bit of happiness and I won't get in the way of that just because I'm not used to buying expensive things. We can more than afford it and you're mostly the reason why. I want to get whatever you want because you deserve it and I love you. I love you so much and I just want to see you happy. I'm sorry."

Elsa was lost in Anna's eyes as she spoke. It was probably a far greater apology than the moment called for but her heart skipped a beat and she could actually feel a tiny piece of her old wounds healing. Anna's words would one day replace Agdar's now that she knew what Elsa had gone through and this was great start.

Elsa's eyes shifted to Anna's perfectly upturned lips, glistening a beautiful shade of magenta as they stood out against her apricot skin. Gently, she kissed Anna and a whispered _thank you_ brushed against the redhead's lips with a slight tickle.

Anna smiled back at Elsa and grabbed the diaper bag from her shoulder.

"Okay so we _know_ you want this, so I'm going to put it at the register and get a pile started for you." The giddy expression returned to Elsa's face as her and Anna broke their embrace and she headed over to peruse the assortment of finely woven swaddling blankets.

"Okay Sarah at the register is holding all our stuff so feel free to just keep handing everything to her. What did you find?" Anna asked as she looked down at a pack of cotton muslin swaddling blankets with light pink designs that had struck Elsa's fancy. When she felt the fabric between her fingers she nearly melted from the softness. It was like heaven and fluffy clouds had merged together and magically been woven into a blanket of divinity.

"I like these too. They're so soft I can actually imagine them wrapped around her precious little body. And I've seen a lot of moms using these as stroller blankets to keep the sun out of baby's eyes."

"Then I shall go hand them to Sarah. Actually pick out one other set because I have a feeling we might need more than three."

Anna was being so good to Elsa and she felt like was falling in love with a whole new side of her. After carrying the baby for eight months and battling morning sickness, cravings, body aches, insomnia, and hormones amongst other things, it felt so good to be pampered, almost as if it were a reward for making it this far instead of her joy ending at just being able to be the pregnant one.

Elsa continued to add to the pile at the register and Anna fell in love with a set of wooden musical instrument for infants that she just had to have. The pile climbed higher as dresses, onesies, jammies, blankets, booties, and rompers were added to the heap. Maybe the fancy department store wasn't so bad after all.

After ringing up the total, which no one uttered a single word about, and packing everything into four large shopping bags, Elsa made a quick stop in the lingerie department to purchase some nursing and sleeping bras.

"I don't even know what size I am anymore," Elsa said as she despairingly sorted through the racks of undergarments.

"Well what cup size are you wearing now? Because you're going to engorge the first week when your milk comes and they'll _definitely_ be bigger than they are now after that."

"I'm already at a double D and I'm normally a C. I don't have anymore room on my chest to expand. I'm going to tip over." Elsa looked down at her chest. She couldn't see her feet over her baby bump and she couldn't even see the whole bump because of her breasts.

"I wish I could give you sympathy but there's no way I can complain about that," Anna said with a laugh.

All jokes aside, Elsa's body was going through so many changes that it was taking a major mental and physical toll on her.

"Here, I'll grab a bunch and we'll try some on ok?" flashing Elsa a reassuring smile.

Anna grabbed a few sizes of each bra and found a dressing room large enough to accommodate two women and four giant shopping bags.

She helped Elsa unzip her dress and she stepped out of it and hung it on the hook behind her, staring blankly in front of the mirror with arms wrapped tightly around herself as a frown touched the corners of her lips.

"What's wrong?" Anna had never known Elsa to be shy or ashamed of her body around her and now she wouldn't even take her bra off in front of her for some strange reason.

"Um...well...the past few days I've noticed that...they... my..." Elsa had never been at such a loss for words in her entire life as she fumbled helplessly.

"Just say it, it's okay. Whatever it is."

"My nipples...they're getting darker," Elsa confessed with the drop of her head as crimson flush spread out from her cheeks.

"Is that all? Oh my God Elsa who cares? Besides, you're so white they're probably just now changing into what a normal shade of pink is for the rest of the world. And someone was talking about that in group and they get darker so that the baby can find the nipple better to nurse when they're first born."

Elsa's hands were still placed firmly around her chest and she just blindly stared straight ahead at her reflection in the mirror as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Elsa your whole body could suddenly become purple like that girl in Willy Wonka and I wouldn't love you any less or find you any less sexy."

At Anna's words she smiled shyly and removed the undergarment to reveal exactly what Anna had predicted. What was once a moon dusted shade of light pink was now just more of a deep rose color.

"See. Beautiful. Actually, I like it _better_. It's like the color highlights them and draws my attention _directly_ to where it needs to be," pulling Elsa in for a hug, to which the blonde laughed and relaxed into Anna's embrace, heaving a sigh as she let her arms comfortably rest at her sides when Anna released her.

"Okay you have like 50 bras to try on and we still have to get lunch and go to Babies'R'Us so that I can go crazy too."

Sorting through the selection of bras Anna noticed one of them was _not_ like the others.

"Ooh la la! Well hello there. Did you pick this one out or did it get in here by _mistake_?" Anna singsonged with a giggle.

In her hand she held a black brassiere lined with white frilly trim around the shell of the cups and a tiny pink bow in the center of the chest.

"What? It's pretty. I may be pregnant but I still want to feel sexy," Elsa replied as she snatched the bra from Anna.

"Elsa this is supposed to be for nursing. You're going to be mom not a French maid."

Elsa giggled and they continued to work their way through the mountain of bras. Out of all the bras Anna grabbed Elsa was able to find at least ten that worked and they figured that would get her through the first few months at least.

* * *

After a quick bite of lunch Anna pulled into the parking lot of the next store and didn't hear one ounce of protesting from Elsa when she parked in the expectant mother's spot this time.

"I now know why they have special parking because my feet are killing me already and I haven't even gotten out of the car."

Aisle by aisle they went through their list and filled up a cart in no time flat, sending Anna back to the front of the store to retrieve another.

Stuck in the baby gear section, Anna had fallen in love with a black Baby Björn carrier and was desperately pleading with Elsa to go off her list and let her get it.

"Look it's cute and a lot of people have them," still trying to convince Elsa that it was a worthy purchase.

Elsa stared at the box perplexed. "Björn means bear. Why would they call it baby bear?"

Anna was too busy strapping herself into said baby bear carrier and securing it around her tiny waist, holding the front of the carrier and swaying back and forth as if a real baby were swaddled inside.

"Because it's like a mama bear cuddling her cub. Like a little honey pot baby." Anna had completely tuned Elsa out and was swept away by the image of herself carrying their baby strapped to the front her torso like a tiny koala.

Elsa still had her eyes glued to the box. "I still think it's a marketing ploy. I don't like when my language is exploited for such purposes," pinching her brows together as she struggled to grasp the carrier's appeal.

"Isn't it Swedish anyway?" Anna inquired, still dancing around the aisle with her pretend baby.

"Yes but there are a lot of similarities between the two languages and björn means the same thing in both."

"I won't ask how you feel about Ikea then." Anna mumbled under her breath.

"Why? I _love_ Ikea." Elsa professed passionately, as if Anna had offended her at the mere suggestion of her not liking Ikea.

"You don't like Baby Björn but you like Ikea?"

"Yeah, why not? Everything is really cheap and they have great meatballs. Mmmm... meatballs. That sounds so good right now," licking her lips as she put the box back on the shelf.

"You are a mystery I will forever be solving Elsa."

"Anyways it doesn't matter because we can't get it," Elsa declared, platinum hair swishing back and forth as she shook her head.

"Why because of the björn thing?" Anna whined with a pout.

"No because the baby's legs hang straight down and that's really bad for their hips. The knee and hip should sit level with each other, according to Dr. Bjorgman."

"So which one can we get?"

Anna stepped back and gestured to the near twenty kinds of carriers, all she deemed too ugly to behold her baby.

"He recommended this one."

Elsa handed Anna a slightly more attractive carrier. Again Anna eyed the price but just grinned this time, turning her look of shock into one of excitement.

"Awesome. I'm going to get green. What are you getting?"

"Do we need two?" Elsa asked, noting that their second cart was nearly filled already.

"Well one to keep in the house and one to keep in the car. Plus you won't have to keep readjusting it to fit each other."

"Good thinking. I'm going to get...blue."

"She's a girl remember," Anna reminded.

"So what. Girls can't like blue? I wear blue all time. Does it make me less effeminate?" Elsa sassed in reply.

"Quite the opposite actually. Here's blue and green is...I don't see it."

"It's up there. Let me go get someone with a ladder." Elsa was halfway down the aisle when she turned back to see Anna getting that crazy look in her eyes.

"It's not that high. I can totally get it myself."

Elsa looked on as Anna began to scale up the side of the giant industrial shelves, shaking her head and just letting Anna learn her lesson on her own. In the beginning of their relationship she probably would have made a fuss over her climbing to such high heights but she'd learned over time that Anna never listened and was also somehow impervious to injury.

Straining her arm as far as it would go, Anna stretched out in a jumping jack formation as she tried to capture the elusive green baby carrier.

"Am I there yet? Please tell me I'm almost there."

"Not even close. Shall I go get someone now or do you want to keep trying for another half hour?" Elsa was getting impatient. Hungry and tired and here Anna was playing mountaineer in aisle twelve.

Planting her foot firmly against the steel siding of the shelving unit, Anna launched herself like a spider monkey in a move that would have rivaled Michael Jordan and clutched the carrier into her possession.

"Ha ha, yeah! I got it!" Anna whooped as she victoriously held the box over her head.

"You're going to get yourself killed before the baby even comes," Elsa groaned from off to the side, arms crossed with her hip stuck out to one side as she watched Anna climb down with all the dexterity of a spritely child on a playground jungle gym.

"Admit it. You were impressed," Anna smirked as she made a jump shot and tossed the carrier into the cart, good for three points as Elsa smiled at her display of athleticism.

"I'm always impressed by you."

* * *

Last but not least on the list were diapers. They hadn't bought any and coworkers and friends had been warning them for months to stock up so it was off to the diapering aisle.

Standing before a towering wall of brightly colored boxes the two stared wide-eyed at the endless selection of diapers and wipes.

"Elsa, we have two college degrees between us and I have no clue how to decide." Anna's eyes frantically darted back and forth, overwhelmed by the size, cut, shape, and absorbency each brand had to offer.

"What makes you think I know? I may have a college degree but diapers and wipes wasn't discussed in my _Introduction to Urban Design_ class."

Fortunately a friendly employee spotted them making the all too familiar petrified look of two soon to be parents drowning in a sea of decisions and came over to assist them.

"Ladies, if you'd like I have samples of diapers and wipes you could look at and that may help you decided."

"Yes! I'm sorry. Yes please." Anna had nearly shouted at the poor man before trying again at a more acceptable speaking volume.

In no time at all the man returned with a small bag of various newborn sized diapers and sample packs of wipes and the two started to tear into them, unfolding and studying each diaper with the astuteness of a NASA researcher.

"Oh God. _Oh. My. God_...look how tiny this diaper is! It looks like it's for a doll." Anna healed over from the overload of cuteness that had caused her legs to turn to jell-o and she had to lean against Elsa for support. The newborn diaper she held was no bigger than the length of her hand, compressed and perfectly folded into a thin slice of baby goodness. An adorable baby version of Winnie the Pooh adorned on the front and there was even a crescent shaped cut-out in the center for where the baby's healing belly button would be.

"How can something be this small? Oh Elsa...I'm having a moment. Hold me," she squeaked.

Anna slumped into Elsa's arms and the blonde couldn't help but giggle. They _were_ amazingly tiny and she was also thunderstruck by the itty-bitty cuteness of everything but it was nice to see Anna succumbing to the emotions of having a baby instead of her for once.

"I know this place is _killing_ me with cuteness. Do you like Winnie the Pooh or baby Big Bird? I'm partial to Pooh but these Sesame Street ones are super soft and they have this little blue indicator line for when they're wet, which takes out the guess work," she said as she held Anna in one arm and studied the diaper with her free hand.

"They both have the blue line thing but you're right. These are _so soft_ and I want the softest diaper they make for our angel," Anna cooed, flashing those big aqua orbs filled to the brim with overwhelming joy.

"Anna _stop_. If you keep talking like that I'm going to start crying. This store is the worst hormone trigger ever." Someone had to keep their head out the clouds and make some decisions or they'd never get out of the store alive.

Looking at the diaper, Anna unfolded it and secured the velcro around the sides as if it were fitted around an invisible baby.

"Elsa look. I just want you imagine our little blonde or redheaded bundle of joy-"

As she spoke she made Elsa fold her arms out like she was about to hold a baby while she set the tiny diaper in her arms.

"-wearing this while you hold her in your arms in our beautiful nursery," her words painting an image Elsa instantly became one with.

Well that did it. Elsa let out a breathy but happy cry as she looked down at herself cradling the diaper in her arms. It didn't take much imagination to envision a swaddled up little baby held closely against her.

"Gah...okay now _you_ hold me." Elsa cried as she melted into Anna's arms. How were they ever going to survive the birth if they couldn't make it through something as simple as picking out diapers?

"It's okay, just feel it out. Ride that coaster of emotion. It's good huh? So good." Anna teased and she patted Elsa's back.

* * *

With the furniture coming the next day they just decided to leave everything in Anna's car and put it in the nursery once everything had been set up. The only exception was the new bras Elsa bought which she promptly put in her dresser drawer.

Thoroughly exhausted, they mindlessly did their usual night time routine and got ready for bed. Anna again rubbed cocoa butter on Elsa's belly and talked to the baby, as was becoming one of her favorite parts about bedtime. That evening's song selection included _You Are My Sunshine_ , which ended up being a duet with Elsa, and a rousing version of _The Wheels on the Bus_ , complete with hand motions and Anna's over the top enthusiasm that made baby kick like she was recreating a number from _Riverdance_. Anna was never too tired for time with baby.

After kissing baby goodnight, Anna leaned over to do the same to Elsa before she planned to turn the light out, giving Elsa a quick kiss on the lips. Just as Anna turned to reach for the light she heard a tired voice from the other side.

"More," Elsa cooed politely.

Anna smiled and leaned back over to give Elsa _another_ kiss, this one a little longer than the first. This time she didn't even get the chance to turn all the way around before Elsa was asking for more again.

"How are you not tired? _More_ , _more, more_. You're not gonna stop until we've had sex like three times are you?"

"I just asked for a kiss, not sex times three."

"Yeah no but I know you and you totally have that look in your eye."

Elsa cocked her head with a look of confusion and blinked.

"Right there. That little twinkle saying _please Anna please, I'm ever so horny_ ," pointing to the sparkle in Elsa's right eye.

"I do _not_ have a twinkle and if I did it most certainly wouldn't be saying _that_ ," she scoffed even though it was true.

Proving a point, Anna placed a hand along the curve of Elsa's jawline and gave her a passionately deep kiss, coaxing a needy moan from the blonde's throat.

" _Now_ tell me you don't want sex." A gloating smile crept across Anna's lips.

"Well _now_ ," Elsa replied with a hint of sass and a thirst for more.

Anna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with a look of _I told you so_ written across her face.

"Just _once_ , please. I'll even let you go first," Elsa whined with a sudden desperateness that was too adorable for Anna to resist.

"Okay first, you don't have to beg for sex. That's part of the perks of being married. It's like a buffet, it's always open and you can always come back for more. Second, I do not have the same level of sex drive you do right now and I'm _so_ tired it hurts. I have _no problem_ missing out on a turn this evening. My hormones can handle it. Now roll over," Anna instructed, guiding Elsa's shoulders back against the mattress.

"Good because that kiss kind of got me going and now...I just want you _deep_ inside me so bad and your hands all over me so I can come really hard..." she breathed with a sudden urgency.

"How in the world did you go from cooing over diaper bags and swaddling blankets to talking dirty in bed? My God Elsa, my head in still in babyland. Take it down a notch please."

"Sorry," Elsa replied with a smile. She'd even surprised herself a little but Anna had asked for it with a kiss like _that_.

"Just let me do my thing here," Anna directed.

She thoughtfully cupped a hand around her chin, assessing the situation as she tried to come up with a game plan. Elsa was laid back at angle with her hair fanned out over two pillows behind her, chest already heaving as she lightly bit the tip of her finger in her mouth and waited for Anna to quench her thirst.

 _Deep inside. Hands all over. I should be able to knock this out in at least ten minutes and then be able to go to sleep._

Anna decided to leave Elsa exactly where she was as the angle relieved some of the pressure of the baby weight from her spine and simply slipped her fingers under the band of her sleeping bra and pulled it over her head. The hunger in Elsa's eyes was intense, like she was starving and hadn't eaten in days, mouth already slightly open with a welcoming bottom lip in hopes Anna would hurry up and kiss her again already. Parting her legs, Elsa made room for Anna as she approached on all fours, heading straight for those impatient lips, leaving them satisfied before kissing a wet trail down her chest.

Remembering how shy Elsa had been about her breasts in the dressing room, Anna wanted to show her just how much she still loved every inch of Elsa's body and led the trail right down to her newly hued nipples; moving to the right one and loving it with the sweetest of kisses.

As Anna kissed she could feel Elsa's hands running through her hair and clutching it at the back of her head, encouraging her to wrap her tongue around the hardening nipple in her mouth with a hum. There was something different though. Not only had the color of Elsa's nipples changed but Anna was pretty familiar with the taste of Elsa's skin and she couldn't quite figure it out but it had changed too, sweeter even maybe. Testing to see if the same thing had happened to the other breast she pulled away and suddenly noticed a cloudy drop of liquid streaking down the side of Elsa's breast.

"Um...Elsa. You're...leaking," Anna said, sounding more surprised than anything.

Elsa snapped her head down to catch the last of the streak trailing off around her ribs. Mortified she jerked away from Anna and quickly wrapped the sheet around her chest with a horrified look on her face she was trying to hide with her hands.

"No,no,no, it's fine. It's _fine_. This sounds strange but it actually tasted _really_ sweet." Anna licked her lips to confirm the taste.

"Ugh, don't tell me how it tastes. I'm already humiliated enough as it is."

Grabbing a nearby shirt, Elsa wrapped it around her chest as best she could and stormed off to the bathroom as a wildfire of red burgeoned across her fair cheeks.

"Herregud, er det mulig?" she muttered to herself.

(Fuck, is it possible?)

"Wait, what was that? Did you just get so embarrassed you forgot English or something?" Anna had to jump off the bed in a hurry as Elsa was clearly upset and it looked like she was about to lock herself in the bathroom. Sticking a hand out just in time Anna was able to keep her from shutting the door and slowly made her way into the bathroom to find Elsa with her face bright red still clutching the t-shirt to her chest behind the door.

"Stop, please. It's okay. You can't control it. I won't kiss you there if it bothers you but please stop feeling so ashamed about all these changes. Believe me, I know every inch of your body and it's been changing a lot since day one but I wouldn't have it any other way. You're unbreakably beautiful to me and every change I notice makes me love you even more because it reminds that you're carrying our baby. There's nothing shameful about that."

As heartfelt as Anna's words had been it appeared not a single one had gotten through to Elsa as she looked more upset than before, like she was struggling with something but wasn't letting it out.

"Skjerp deg." She whispered to herself.

(Get it together.)

"Stop! Why are you doing that? It sounds beautiful but I don't know what you're saying and you never do this and it's kind of scaring me. You're having a baby and you lactated. I'm not bothered by it in any way. _What_ is going on?"

Elsa didn't say a word and just pulled the shirt tighter against herself, looking away with a pinched look of worry on her face as her bottom lip trembled.

"You want to say something, just say it. In _English_ please."

Anna took Elsa's chin between her thumb and index finger, bringing it back to center where she caressed her cheek and waited for her to say something, anything.

"I'm...having a hard time," she murmured with a shakiness.

"Yes, I can see that. Go on."

"I'm tired," Elsa groaned, still not making eye contact with Anna.

"Are we having a conversation here? I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone." Anna took a deep breath and tried to return her thoughts back to a rational frame of mind in the midst of the crazy making. She ran the situation by herself. _This has do with the changes...speaking Norwegian, won't look at me...hmmm._

"Elsa. Are you having a hard time with the pregnancy and don't want to say anything because you think it will hurt my feelings or sound ungrateful? Because I can't carry her?" Anna said softly.

Calming a bit more, Elsa looked back at Anna with a quivering bottom lip and nodded. Anna released a huge puff of air like she'd just correctly answered the final question on a game show.

"Oh my God no, no, don't hold that in. Who are you going to talk to about that with if not me? That's my job." The white-knuckled grip on the shirt began to loosen and Elsa's shoulders relaxed more as she listened to Anna.

The way Elsa was holding everything in, the look on her face was almost painful for Anna to witness as she brushed little strands of bangs away from Elsa's face; the red beginning to dissipate into light blush.

"It doesn't at all seem incredibly unfair to complain about being pregnant to someone who can't ever become pregnant themselves?" Elsa asked, finally letting her eyes meet Anna's in shame.

"I see where you're coming from but what you're trying to do is impossible. No woman can go through pregnancy and not whine, complain, or even kick and scream about it at some point. Come here. We're in the bathroom for crying out loud when you could be comfortable in bed."

Leading Elsa out of the bathroom, Anna looped an arm around her waist and helped her get back into bed and put some night clothes on her so that Elsa felt more comfortable. She leaned back against the two pillows where this whole thing had started and Anna curled up close enough to cuddle with her but far enough away so that she could look at Elsa while talking to her.

"Okay first of all, what was with the Norwegian?"

"I just didn't want either one of you to know what I was saying. That and I was just so floored by what happened it was a natural reaction." Elsa hadn't even realized she'd slipped into her first language until Anna pointed it out, slightly embarrassed but that was the least of her worries.

"So tell me, what's going on?" Anna asked as she swept her hand over Elsa's belly, trying to calm her and baby simultaneously.

"I just feel like I'm at my breaking point. Everything hurts, I can't sleep, I'm starving but I don't have room to eat, I don't recognize parts of my own body anymore...and I'm so tired at work but the projects just keep coming in and I can't keep up and I..I-" A war between words and tears was raging as everything she'd been keeping bottled up inside was now fizzling out.

"Whoa, _slow down_. Okay so you're overwhelmed. You're in the third trimester and you're in the most uncomfortable part."

At this point Anna was just repeating word for word what Tamora had said at group the other night. Apparently she'd tried to warn Anna about the exact thing that was happening before her but she'd been too naive at the time to fully understand.

"First of all, you have about eight weeks left. When are you going to go on maternity leave?" Anna asked.

Elsa was silent. She hadn't mentioned anything about maternity leave to her work other than that she was due in August and that was back when she had originally told them she was pregnant over three months ago.

"Have you even talked to HR about maternity leave?" eyes widening at the absurdity of Elsa possibly not having said anything.

Elsa was still silent and now closing in on herself like a clam inside its shell, which could only mean one thing. She hadn't said one word to anyone.

"Yeash. So, let's talk about it now. When are you going to stop, when she's halfway out? I don't know if you can make it that long," Anna joked before realizing too late that it probably wasn't the best time but she was desperate to lighten the mood.

"I _can't_ stop now. There's so much that needs to be done." Her head dropped as she shook it in defeat. Anna had no idea how much pressure she was under or the kind of responsibility that had been placed on her at work.

"Elsa, both of my parents worked my whole life and you know what? You can't have it all at the same time. You can't be pregnant and always meet the challenges at work. It's their job to figure out how to handle the work while you're gone. You need to take care of yourself and baby. Working too hard is going to put stress on both of you and this far along you _could_ go into early labor. So which is more important, a building or baby?" Anna asked in a way that implied there was only one correct answer.

"Baby, _of course_ ," bringing her eyes back to Anna's.

"So on Monday you need to make some concrete plans with HR to take three months off after the baby is born and use vacation time or whatever to leave a week or two before your due date. At this rate I'm thinking two weeks. You get three weeks of vacation so use it up. That means you have six weeks left of work. Also, see if you can go in during the morning and work from home in the afternoon. Okay?" Anna's voice was clear and precise, so full of strength that Elsa was impressed at how she'd just single handedly solved her problem and made it look so easy.

"You're so smart sometimes. How did you think of all that just now?"

"Well for one I don't have hormones clouding my thought process. I also work with teachers who breed like rabbits and going on maternity leave is like a weekly event in my field."

Elsa laughed and her face relaxed a little more.

"For the other stuff, we'll just throw money at the problem. Get massages, they even have people that come to your home to do them. I'll get you whatever pillow you want as long as it makes you comfortable at night."

"It's not just that. I have to get up to go the bathroom at least five times a night so I'm waking up every hour and a half. Then when I try to go back to sleep my ribs hurt or I can't breath or she wakes up and starts kicking and I just...can never get any sleep. And I've been having nightmares and really vivid dreams when I _am_ asleep." Elsa's brows frowned. Everything felt like it had become too much for her.

"That I can't help you with but I'm so sorry. Believe me, I love sleep and it's probably going to be the thing I miss most when she comes so I can't imagine how awful that must be for you now when you're already so tired," rubbing a hand down Elsa's back. She couldn't solve every problem but she knew just getting Elsa to talk about it had to make her feel a little better.

"Thank you."

Anna was quiet for a moment as her smile faded and she was drawn back to the darker bit of Elsa's rant.

"Nightmares about baby or something else?" she asked hesitantly, hoping she didn't just open a can of worms already this late into the evening.

"Everything. Sometimes I'll dream that something is wrong. That she can't breathe or the cord is wrapped around her neck. Then there are other dreams where she looks like one of my parents and...I don't know how to handle that," shaking her head as she again tried to cover her face with her hands before Anna stopped her.

"Well wait. We don't know whose egg it is and even if it's yours she'd probably look like you and fortunately, you don't really look like your parents," Anna added, pulling Elsa's hands down away from her face. No more hiding.

"But I carry those genes. _Anything_ could happen." Elsa's voice was desperate and strained. Anna hadn't realize just how much she'd actually been locking away inside and just how deep her fears ran.

"You're also forgetting that the donor is blonde. Remember? We went with all recessive traits so that our genes would have a better chance of being passed down. He's blonde so no matter what that knocks out some of your parents genes but also allows for red hair to be passed down. I don't know, I can't remember Mendelian inheritance laws off the top of my head but you know what I mean."

Elsa's face twisted tighter as her worry consumed her further. It broke Anna's heart to see her like this. It was sad to see how no matter what Elsa did, no matter what happiness came her way her past just couldn't stay in the past. Her fears followed her wherever she went, infecting every part of her life like a virus of the mind.

"Look, don't worry about this. In every scenario you could make it negative. I mean if she looks like me you'll be the only blonde."

"I don't care about that. I _love_ the way you look. That would make me happy." A small faint smile finally graced Elsa's face.

"Is that what you want? We just haven't talk about this so I don't know."

"I want a _healthy_ baby but yes, there are certain scenarios that worry me more than others," Elsa confessed as she sat up a little straighter, tone more serious as this was something she'd been thinking about more than Anna knew.

"Okay that she'll look like your parents. What else?"

Elsa paused and looked away before answering in a stilted voice.

"Or me."

Anna pulled away at her answer, nearly shocked as her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Why on Earth would you be afraid of her looking like you? You are the most _beautiful_ woman I have ever seen in my entire life. That's why I purposely ran into you just to meet you at that karaoke bar," her confession leaving Elsa(?) flabbergasted.

"Because sometimes looking in the mirror can be painful. Even if the reflection is beautiful. Because I don't just see me but also everything I've been though. Everything he ever called me or did to me. Everything I'm trying not to repeat."

Saddened by her words, Anna closed her eyes as she shook her head, in disbelief or in sympathy she wasn't quite sure.

"I guess I can understand that. But it could be hope for anew, for something different. You're not your parents and she wouldn't experience the same things," hoping to restore some of Elsa's optimism with her own.

"Or I could hope to see the face of the person I love the most in the innocent form of a child," Elsa replied, her voice weak and fragile.

Anna really didn't care who the baby looked like. Like Elsa had said she too was so excited to even be having a baby at all and so focused on her being healthy that everything else just wasn't important. But to be afraid of the baby looking like her, the most beautiful thing in Anna's world, was just devastating. Elsa's father hadn't just robbed her of a normal and happy childhood, he'd robbed her of the ability to love herself, to look beyond her scars and pain. Her heart thumbed with sorrow as it mourned the life she felt Elsa had deserved, quickly trying to stay solution focused instead of letting their feelings swallow them whole.

"You're scared. You're almost done with the pregnancy and the birth is imminent now. No matter how excited you are, how much you're looking forward to this, part of you is going to be scared. Scared of the pain, scared of the changes. Even scared of what having a little girl will do to us when we've been one ourselves and know how hard it can be."

Anna took a deep breath and clasped Elsa's face between her hands.

"This is out of our hands and it's already been decided long ago. No matter what, I know you will love her more than you've loved anyone in your entire life. You _already_ love her so much, what she looks like won't change that."

Anna laid a hand against Elsa's belly and cupped her cheek in her other, smoothing a thumb over the sparse dusting of freckles.

"Close your eyes. You can feel something I can't, not quite the same way. That powerful bond. That feeling that makes your heart bloom with a warmth you've never felt before. Like you want to protect her and fight for her and love her, all at the same time and it feels so great it almost scares you but is the most amazing thing ever. You feel that?"

With her eyes still closed Elsa nodded and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"When you get scared, when it feels like it's become too much...just hold on to that feeling. Because that's what's important. That's what's going to get you through this."

There wasn't anything that could be said to follow Anna's words. Finally getting to turn out the light, Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa and kissed her and held her until they fell asleep, worries far behind as they tried to look ahead to tomorrow.

* * *

Bright and early the next morning the most glorious sound echoed throughout the house, the doorbell. Flying down the stairs like a couple of children on Christmas morning they sprinted to the door to greet the arrival of the furniture for the nursery. Four large men awaited them on the other side of the door and as soon as Elsa showed them the way they began hauling the pieces upstairs. With a quick flick of her of her wrist as Elsa signed the delivery slip they shut door and ran back upstairs to see a room that looked much more equipped for the arrival of a baby.

The crib, dresser, and changing table were all positioned against opposing walls, filling the space with a much needed purpose.

"Let's just sit. For one minute, before we go to the car and get all the stuff to put away, to just sit and enjoy this moment," Anna suggested as she led Elsa by the hand to sit in the nursing chair.

Nuzzled together they just let the feeling take over, that pure and wonderful moment when every beat of their heart reminded them that their baby was on her way.

The room was already so beautiful. With her great attention to detail, Elsa had even considered the direction of the morning sunlight when designing the house and made sure all bedrooms and windows faced its radiant glow. The way the light poured in through the contoured colonial windows was breathtaking, perfectly highlighting the beautiful pale green Anna had picked out for the walls. This one single room was a perfect blend of their taste and styles, exactly what they hoped for their baby in that she too would be a perfect blend of them in some form or another.

Soft smiles were plastered on both of their faces as they pressed their foreheads together, entirely enraptured in pure bliss.

"We're having a baby," Anna whispered, smiling even wider.

Elsa nodded, rubbing her nose against Anna's. "Yes, we are."

* * *

The rest of the morning was spent making multiple trips to and from the car and unwrapping and putting away the menagerie of baby items. Anna did most of the footwork while Elsa stayed inside and organized the baby's closet and loaded the changing table with those adorable Big Bird diapers.

When all of the bags had been emptied and everything had found its place, there was one small bag left that Elsa knew Anna would want to open herself.

Anna was still outside collecting the last bits and pieces of garbage in the back of the car when Elsa appeared and handed her the little white shopping bag.

"I know you've been waiting a long time for this," Elsa gleamed as she held out the bag.

Confused, Anna opened it and jumped up and down once she saw the yellow caution diamond with _Baby on Board_ written on it.

"Wait there's two."

"One for you and one for me. It may not have three rows and an entertainment system but my car will also have a baby on board," she smiled as she glanced over her shoulder at her car.

"I know I just never thought you'd put something like this in your car," Anna replied.

"Things change. I'm proud of my baby and I'm proud to be a mom," her smile widening as she clutched the sign in her hands.

"You know, it's amazing how you can know someone for so long, go through so many ups and downs, and they still manage to show you parts of your heart you didn't know existed." Anna grabbed Elsa and hugged her tight, never wanting to let her go as she felt her heart expand just a little bit more.

"I feel it too," Elsa whispered in return.

Back inside the two admired their handy work and gushed over their new purchases. All the clothes were sitting in a pile, as they needed to be washed first, and Anna picked up a purple onesie with a chiffon skirt that Elsa had picked out.

"This is so adorable. You picked out some cute stuff mama," letting the onesie fall back to the floor as she picked up a pair of yellow leggings.

"These are so cute I could eat them up," Anna giggled as she held the leggings out in front of her.

"I know. Look at these widdle pant legs," Elsa cooed as she tugged on the bottom of each leg.

"Did you just mommy talk? You said widdle," Anna asked, slightly teasing the first appearance of Elsa's mommy voice.

"I couldn't help it. It just came out naturally." She blushed but laughed at how good it felt to have being a mom be so second nature to her.

"I love it. You are 100% being consumed by mommyness and I wuv you even more now."


	27. Chapter 27

33 weeks

When Sunday came Elsa spent the entire morning cooped up in her office trying to organize a plan to present to the firm concerning her maternity leave. She listed out all the projects she had going on and composed a list of colleagues to delegate the work to. Having a plan felt better, she was in control instead of feeling like everything she'd worked for was going to slip away because she wanted to pursue her other dream of having a family.

On Monday she met with human resources and officially put in her dates for maternity leave. She decided to do just what Anna said and use two weeks of vacation time to have the possible last two weeks of the pregnancy off and then have three months at home with Anna and the baby after that.

Once everything was official it was time to call a meeting and put the plan into action and start the countdown to maternity leave.

Bright and early Tuesday morning Elsa stood in the firm's largest meeting room with a PowerPoint fired up and ready to go. The long oval shaped table had a folder placed in front of each seat and Tiana was even good enough to make sure there were refreshments on hand.

With just a few minutes to spare, Elsa smoothed out the front of her dress and leaned to the side to get one last look at herself in heels for a while. She loved her shoes but comfort had finally won out over fashion and this was her last day to enjoy them before she switched to flats. Pointing a leg out to the side, as she couldn't even see her feet just by looking down any more, she admired the simple pair of feminine black pumps when Tiana stepped into the room.

"You ready for everyone?" Tiana asked.

"It's now or never I suppose. Call it." Elsa sighed and smiled back.

"Give me five minutes to get everyone. You need anything?" she asked just before shutting the door.

"No, I'm okay. Thanks Tia."

Tiana worked quickly and in no time flat the room was filled with a mixture of different level employees. The group of about twelve people ranged from junior partners all the way down to interns and Elsa smiled to herself knowing it took this many people to replace her for three and a half months.

"Good morning everyone. Thank you all for coming. I've called this meeting this morning because I'm going to be taking a leave of absence to...to..." She glanced down at her belly and the words flew right out of her head, not knowing the most professional way to word what she wanted to say while maintaining at least some shred of privacy.

"She's having a baby and going on maternity leave. It's okay, we all know." Tiana boomed from the back of the room. A murmur of chuckles filled the room and Elsa shyly smiled. The woman had a half moon of baby protruding from her abdomen and it was abundantly clear why Elsa was going to be taking time off.

"Thank you Tiana. Yes, I'll be going on maternity leave in six weeks. That ought to give everyone enough time to become familiar with my projects and the phase each one is in before I leave. In front of you is a packet that details each project and a copy of the PowerPoint I'll lead you through." Elsa took a deep breath and stepped behind a podium as everyone opened to their packet to follow along.

Things were off to a great start and Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. Talking in front of people was normally something she did with great ease but having to do so because of a personal matter slightly threw her off her game at first. It was also difficult to turn everything she had ever worked for and attached her name to over to other people, some of which she'd never even worked with before. But as the baby kicked at the sound of her mommy's voice, it provided a constant reminder of why Elsa was doing this and made it easier to part with her life's work.

She seamlessly breezed through the PowerPoint, detailing every project from most to least important, starting off with Dubai as it was one of the most demanding. Construction hadn't even begun on her first tower and they already had requested designs to build three more.

At the end of the meeting everyone had a clear picture of Elsa's vision and what they needed to do to make sure she didn't have to worry about work while she basked in the glow of motherhood. One by one everyone filed out of the conference room, leaving only Tiana who was still sitting at the back with a proud smile etched on her face.

"Great job Elsa. Your work is in good hands and I'll make sure that everyone lives up to your standards while you are gone." She smiled and the corners of her eyes quirked when she noticed Elsa didn't look so good.

Still standing behind the podium, she closed the lid to her computer and breathed a shaky breath, overwhelmed by the unexpected feelings the meeting had brought on. Tia looked on as tears began to trek down her face and she jumped to the front of the room to comfort her.

"What's wrong?" This was the first time Tia had actually ever seen Elsa cry, and at work of all places. But she didn't care where they were; she wrapped her up in a big bear hug and let Elsa break down in her arms, crying as quietly as she could with little gasps for air.

"I can't wait to be a mom but I love my work so much. It's so confusing," she cried, trying to be careful not to saturate Tia's blazer with her tears.

"It's okay. Your life is changing and it's hard to let go of work because it's a big part of who you are. You love your job, that's all." Elsa continued to cry and Tiana rocked her in her arms and rubbed her back.

"Trust me. After she's born, you won't want to come back. It'll be different. And she's not here yet so you probably feel like you're losing something before getting the reward. That's the life of a working mom sugar." Tiana's mom had worked her whole life and she remembered how she too struggled to balance it all. Being a mom wasn't easy but nobody ever said it was.

Breaking their embrace, Elsa tried to slow her breathing as Tiana handed her a tissue from the box on the table. Wiping the tears from her eyes she could still feel the baby kicking and as painful as it was to know she'd be leaving her job and her work in the hands of others for a short time, she knew deep down that this was what she wanted more than anything. Something more amazing than anything she could ever accomplish at work was going to happen and she dried her eyes knowing that day was coming soon.

* * *

Peaceful slumber consumed Anna as she lay sound asleep cozied up in a ball of blankets, leaving Elsa uncovered but when had she ever minded being cold?

Eyes darted below her lids, caught up in a dream that she didn't wish to end when she suddenly felt a kicking coming from the other side of the bed.

"Elsa...you're kicking me," Anna mumbled, still half asleep.

The kicking subsided but her ears perked when she heard Elsa sharply inhaling rapidly. Leaving all thoughts of her dreams behind, she rolled over to find Elsa drenched in sweat and curling in on herself, appearing to be experiencing some sort of nightmare.

Unsure of what to do Anna decided waking her was probably the best thing so she jostled Elsa's arm a little to rouse her.

"Elsa...wake up. You're having a nightmare."

At the touch of Anna's arm Elsa jerked away and the nightmare seemed to intensify. Starting to become worried Anna shook her harder, grabbing her by the shoulders as she applied more force.

"Elsa! Wake up!" Anna yelled.

Immediately Elsa's eyes shot open and they were filled with an extreme fear as she yelped and lunged forward at Anna as if she was trying to escape something.

"Stop far, vær så snill!" she screamed.

(Stop father, please)

Breathing at an alarming rate, her eyes began to shift around the room as everything slowly came into focus. Her hands were clutching Anna's arms so tight her nails were digging into the skin.

"Elsa look at me. You're okay. It was just a nightmare. Everything's okay."

Taking a deep breath Elsa began to calm down. Her breathing slowed and her grip on Anna began to loosen. Laying a hand against her chest she swallowed hard and took a few deep breaths, sweeping aside the wild strands of blonde hair sticking to the sweat glistening on her face.

"You okay?" Anna asked softly.

"I think so. Was I yelling?"

"Yeah but I don't understand Norwegian so I have no idea what that was all about. What was happening?"

Elsa nervously licked her lips and tried to remember the details of her dream.

"It was my father. But it wasn't a nightmare. I mean it was but it wasn't something my mind made up. It was like I was reliving a memory." Her head throbbed and she was still a little disoriented from having woken up in such a state of panic.

"Can you tell me about it? I really want to help, even if that means just listening."

Elsa pulled the covers back over herself and sat up as she pieced together the sequence of her dream.

"I was back home and it was Jul or um...Christmas to you, and I was sixteen. For it being Jul I was so unhappy at the time. Depressed even. And as usual my father was mad about my lack of motivation towards my studies and...this is so embarrassing...but I got caught kissing one of my tutors, she was a student at the university. It didn't mean anything, I was just really lonely and was reaching for something I guess. So that evening there's this huge box with my name on it. My father smiled and I'm thinking this is his way of putting our recent disagreements behind us. I'm opening the box, tearing the wrapping off, so excited because I'd never seen a box so big next to the tree. And it was completely empty. When my mother asked me what was in it I said _nothing_. To which my father said _exactly, nothing_. _Just what you are_. And it felt like he reached into my chest and crushed whatever happiness I had left at that time."

Anna settled in and braced herself for the rest of the story. Knowing Elsa's father, or what little she did know of him, it probably wasn't going to end well. The real question being just how bad was it going to get this time?

Elsa briskly ran her fingers through her hair and down the side of her neck as she continued.

"This isn't easy to say and it's not any easier to hear but you should know what it is I'm about to say. At that point in my life I didn't care what happened. I didn't have anything to live for, or wanted to live for, and I said _faen ta deg_ , fuck you, and kicked the box to him. He was so mad his face turned bright red and he walked straight up to me and pushed me back against the wall where he placed his hand over my throat. He didn't squeeze but his hand was just...there, to scare me or hold me in place I think, not to actually hurt me. And I didn't fight it, I was so checked out I just placidly looked at him while my mother yelled at him in the background. To which he yelled back at her to leave the room and she did. He looked back at me and called me an ungrateful brat, and I looked at his hand...and I said _do it. Just do it_. And tears were streaming but I couldn't feel _anything_ , I was so numb. He said _you want me to choke you?_ Like he was surprised. I said _yes, just end it so I can be free. Do it so I don't have to_. As soon as I said that his hand pulled away and rested on my shoulder instead, and his face changed to that look of worry. Like he suddenly realized how far he'd push me, us, everything. He looked sad. _I would never want you to die_ , he said. He took a few steps back and told me to go to my room. I did and when I walked away he was pinching the bridge of his nose, ashamed I guess I don't really know."

Sitting silently on her side Anna let out a huge sigh and tried to swallow what she'd just been told. Elsa's past and her family were like a quagmire and the more she tried to understand the deeper she sank into a bottomless pit of confusion.

"So...why were you screaming just now?" she asked, trying to understand how the yelling came into play in all this.

"Because in my dream I was there watching my younger self yelling at him to leave me alone." Hot with emotion, Elsa folded the covers off herself and leaned back into her pillow. Her face seemed oddly unaffected for having just told another dark tale from her youth.

Anna turned and sat Indian style facing Elsa. "I'm _so_ sorry. Elsa my stomach hurts so badly when you tell me things like that. I feel like I'm going to throw up and I can even imagine what it was like to live through that." She whispered, not even having the strength to speak any louder.

Elsa was quiet as she studied the crown molding on the ceiling, keeping herself grounded in the present instead of letting herself get sucked into the past.

"I have to ask, what is with your dad and doing such awful things and then turning around and having this worry or whatever it is? I honestly can't tell if you two hate each other or what?"

Elsa thought for a while, eyes still following the lines where the molding abutted the wall. "I don't know." She really didn't know. She'd always hoped the worry was the one sliver of love in his heart he had for her but never acted upon or used to change his ways. But she knew she didn't hate him. Elsa wasn't capable of hating anyone. That was just too strong of a negative emotion for her. At times she had tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, she had tried to see things from his perspective but after a certain point she needed to save herself. A part of her heart was still empty, that void was still there and she'd never known if he was capable of filling it.

"Elsa he may have anger management problems or some kind of mental illness, I don't know but I can't imagine a parent not loving their child on some level, enough for them to not want to see them get hurt or be in pain, or die. Do think he loves you at all?" Anna wasn't trying to push Elsa but she was dying to know the answers to all these questions she had swirling around in her head.

"I don't know. But what scares me more is that somewhere deep down...I want him to." Her voice was quiet yet shaky, almost as if she were afraid to admit to herself that she may very well still be chasing for his approval, for his love.

"Why?" Anna desperately needed to know if there was anything salvageable between them. It was painfully obvious how badly Elsa wrestled with her emotions and she wondered if her father did the same.

"Because no matter what, I only have one mother and one father. I'm pretty sure my mother loves me but she is so weak that it doesn't really matter to me. Their marriage was for show, it always has been. They're technically married but there's nothing there. I've never seen them be romantic in any way really. I spent so much of my life in chaos and confusion I never really stopped to think how much he loves me or I love him, or if we do at all." She still had yet to look at Anna but seemed to be lost in a flood of repressed memories.

"Elsa what if he dies and you _never_ find out?" The graveness is Anna's voice pulled Elsa in, rolling over to face her as those woebegone eyes looked deep into Anna's.

"What if I ask him and he says he doesn't? Which is better? Never knowing or knowing that he doesn't?"

"Or knowing that he does," she countered, refusing to let Elsa's pessimism and fear blind her from the possibilities. Anna was quicker than that and she saw right through Elsa's old habits of avoidance. Never knowing was what Anna feared most for her, that Elsa's fear would hold her back and a missed opportunity would turn into a lifetime of regret.

"I don't know. When I called the house our estate manager Kai said he'd been asking or talking about me and that things hadn't been the same since I left. Whatever that means but I keep hearing him say that in my mind." Her tone had shifted and it sounded more like they were having a regular conversation but with a sense of wonderment running like an undercurrent as she spoke.

"Elsa my biggest fear is that you'll live with regret. I loved my parents and they loved me. I knew it, they knew it and I still live with regret about all kinds of things that I can never change. Once the door is shut it never reopens again and I don't want that for you." She ran her hand down the side of Elsa's arm, trying to spare her the mental torment that losing a parent can cause.

Elsa pressed her hands together and slid them under the side of her head as she nuzzled into her pillow.

"What kind of regret?" Elsa asked. Anna had brought up regret several times now and Elsa was not only curious to know what may very well lie ahead for her but was also surprised to learn that Anna was still grappling with regret herself.

"Everything. Regret over things I could have done to prevent the accident from happening. Regret for all the fights we had, the times I got mad as a teenager and said things I didn't mean. All kinds of things. And to tell you the truth it never goes away." It was difficult to admit but Elsa needed to hear the truth. She could run but she could never really hide.

"You don't know if your father loves you but he said he did when you were growing up right?"

"Yes but Anna, it's really confusing to be told _I love you_ and then be treated in such a way. Love shouldn't hurt like that. Look at _our_ love. Yes we fight but for the most part it's so pure and good and I feel like I'm part of something greater with you. I don't know what I am to him," she said with a shrug.

Anna tried to think hard as if there was one specific answer to figuring this whole thing out. Their entire relationship changed when it all became about the company. _Wait, the company_ , Anna thought to herself.

"But the company is gone. He still has money but the pressure to keep it going and keep it in the family is gone. And because he got sick not because of anything you did. What happens when that pressure is gone? He'd have to change and if he despised you for it he wouldn't be going around talking about you. It's like that saying, you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Just think about it. If you ask him and she says no, then maybe the chase ends and you stop running. If he says he loves you, you have a whole world of possibilities at your feet." Although Anna had a great point, Elsa had reached her limit and had already sat up and was trying to get out of bed when Anna pulled her back in.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. I mean I hear what you're saying it's just Jane is coming today and I want to focus on our daughter and not my father," she said and smiled softly back at Anna.

"Yeah sure. Just one more question. What would he think if he found out about her? I hear all the time people are different as Grandparents."

Elsa's mouth fell open and she laughed at the absurdity of the idea of her father and daughter having anything to do with each other.

"I'm not crazy enough to find out. As far as I'm concerned she's none of his business and cutting me out of his life means cutting everything, you, me, our baby out as well. He has to live with that. Now let's stop so you can make Mickey pancakes, please. I need something fun." When Elsa pouted and that bottom lip jutted out she could pretty much get Anna to do anything she asked.

"You got it. Mickey pancakes it is. Come here."

Elsa snuggled up to Anna as the redhead looked down on her. Softly running the back of her hand along the side of her face, over the ridge of her brow and down across her high blushing cheekbones.

"No matter what, you are _mine_ and I love you more than life itself. To think that someone ever put a hand on you and that you ever felt so depressed you didn't care if it all ended, makes me so incredibly sad. My wife...my beautiful, amazing wife is not a waste, not a disappointment, and certainly not nothing. You are _everything_ to me. I will spend the rest of my life wondering how someone so sweet and kind, with a heart full of love could come from such parents." She leaned down and they both let their eyes flutter close as Anna rubbed her nose against Elsa's, giving her little Eskimo kisses and a small kiss on the lips.

"I love you," Anna whispered as she smiled against Elsa lips.

"I love you too."

Anna gave her a few more kisses before Elsa grinned and pulled away slightly.

"Make me Mickey pancakes, please," she whispered in a playful tone, ready to get into a happier mood already.

"I'm going now. What time is Jane coming?" Anna rolled out of bed and pulled her hair up into a messy bun on top of her head.

"Eleven. We have time. After breakfast you wanna take a shower with me?" Elsa smirked with a mischievous smile.

"When have I _ever_ said no to a shower with you?"

"Good then it's a date." And with that Anna slipped out the door and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

Breakfast had not only been scrumptious but Anna treated Elsa to a special cooking exhibition wearing only her apron while she whipped up breakfast. Elsa sat all a grin at the breakfast nook watching as Anna stuck out her tush and bent over at just the right angle to grab the mixing bowl from the bottom shelf, turning back to smile at her gleaming blonde to give her a coquettish wink.

Elsa's favorite part of the show was when Anna accidentally, rather completely on purpose, dripped some batter down her chest, trailing a fine line down the valley of her breasts. And how did Anna remedy the situation? Well of course by pulling the top of the apron over her head, exposing herself in the most wonderful way, and with a teasing finger swiped the batter from her chest and licked it cleaned from her fingertip with a proficient tongue; singing a song of moans and whimpers to act as the soundtrack.

With her chin resting in the palms of her hands, Elsa nipped at her bottom lip and moaned in response as her feet danced in glee under the table. Anna was such a minx sometimes and she had to restrain herself from taking Anna right there in the kitchen with every fiber of her being, knowing she'd already secured some time to teach Anna a lesson later in the shower.

The pancakes were delicious but it was the shower that was the best part of the morning. Knowing she'd made a mess of herself making breakfast, Elsa made sure to scrub Anna squeaky clean, though she couldn't stop the filthy things that Anna screamed as Elsa took her against the slick wet tiles of the shower.

When Elsa had originally designed the bathroom she wanted a shower with a wide built in ledge at the back so that they could have room to sit while they shaved their legs or just simply wanted some extra room for toiletries and what not. But she never knew that it would end up being one of her greatest designs because the ledge provided the perfect perch for hot steamy shower sex. Every year they found new and inventive ways to incorporate the ingenious feature into their wet and wild time.

This particular morning the ledge served as a perfect sitting place for Anna to spread herself wide while Elsa worshiped her wife's hot center with an unrelenting tongue. And then the ledge was most useful as a place for Anna to rest her hands and brace herself as Elsa put two good fingers to use and ravished her from behind until she swore like a drunken sailor during fleet week as the blonde kissed each and every vertebrae down her shivering spine with an occasional wet slap on Anna's firm bottom.

Thoroughly clean, dressed, and ready for their private birth class in the comfort of their own living room, Anna pushed the furniture aside and laid out a yoga mat and brought down the guest pillows and their workbook along with some refreshments for Jane.

Finished setting up in the living room Anna went to the kitchen to retrieve a few bottles of water for everyone when she came upon Elsa guzzling apple juice straight out the bottle in front of an open fridge.

"Thirsty much? This is most undignified thing I've ever seen you do." Anna watched in amazement as gulp after gulp Elsa continued to drain the bottle faster than her brain could comprehend. In about thirty seconds Elsa had nearly finished a quart of apple juice, pulling her lips from the bottle with a loud gasp for air; her lips red from the pressure within the bottle.

"Sorry. I was really thirsty and this looked really good," Elsa panted as she reached for a napkin and blotted her lips.

"I've never seen you drink out of a bottle before. It's so _naughty_ of you. What's next, placing your fork on the right instead of the left at dinner?" Anna laughed and grabbed three waters from the fridge.

"Don't joke. I'm going to have to pee so badly in about a half an hour." She rubbed her belly and could feel the baby squirming from the added pressure of all that juice.

Laughing Anna knelt down to Elsa's belly. "Baby look out. There's a whole lot of apple juice coming your way. Which will be a nice change from strawberries for you I'm sure," giving the swell a loving rub.

"Oh hold on I think I see Jane," Elsa said.

She walked over to the front window and saw a Ford Explorer pull up along the side of the curb just in front of their mail box. Sure enough it was Jane and she opened the back of the SUV and pulled out a black portable file case and a travel bag, hair still in a bun just like the last time they'd seen her.

Not wanting to look like stalkers they quickly moved away from the window and hurried back to the living room as Jane made her way up the path to the front door.

"You answer it. She likes you better," Anna whispered, as if Jane could hear them from so far away. Elsa looked at her a bit confused. Usually Anna liked to talk to people but in this case she was a little intimidated by Jane's intellect and use of big and fancy words. Brainiac types were usually better suited for Elsa to handle, being one herself.

The doorbell rang and Elsa answered it as the warm and welcoming host she always was, allowing Jane to enter first as Elsa closed the door behind them. Anna chose to hide in the living room and wait for the two to make their entrance, listening to their every word.

"Oh my, what an extraordinary home you have. I saw on your registration that it indicated you were indeed an architect but this is something to behold." Jane craned her neck to admire the chandelier hanging down from the high vaulted ceiling of the entryway. It was simple, refine, and elegant, much like the rest of house.

"Thank you. I admit I did design it myself. Please come in, make yourself comfortable. Anna has everything set up in the living room, which is just through here," pointing down the hallway.

Jane walked through the center of their first floor, eyes wide as she marveled at Elsa's craftsmanship and innovation.

"The fenestration and use of windows is quite impressive. The symmetry and curvilinear fluidity has a very modern feel but yet so approachable at the same time. Very elegant if I do say so myself," Jane said in her charming accent.

Elsa stopped dead in her tracks and turned around so quickly Jane had to dodge her incoming braid.

"Fenestration? Curvilinear? Are you sure you're not an architect yourself?" Elsa had never met anyone outside of her field that was able to refer to architectural design with such insight. She was impressed by the brunette, intrigued even.

"Oh I'm just one of those people who are like a sponge. Always learning, always thirsting for knowledge. Architectural sights are always on my to do list whenever I'm traveling about Europe. I also read you're from Oslo. Beautiful architecture there as well. Norway has everything from modern to classical. I've always been a fan of the Stave churches. So uniquely Norwegian I think." Her midnight blue eyes sparked as she smiled as she nervously adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

Jane was unlike anyone Elsa had ever met before. Clearly they were cut from the same cloth or knew each other in a previous life because Elsa couldn't help but feel like she had an instant connection with her, intellectually at least. The brunette had been gifted with both hands as she was relatively bright and somewhat attractive as well, though Jane didn't seem to be aware of the last fact.

"Elsa what is taking so long?!" Anna shouted from the living room.

"I apologize. You'll quickly learn that patience is a virtue my wife has yet to acquire."

Jane and Elsa made their way into the living room where Anna was sprawled out on the yoga mat playing with one of her braids.

"Good morning Anna. Good to see you again," Jane said, putting down her things and giving a small wave to the redhead.

"You as well." Looking more like an adult, Anna picked herself up off the floor and sat up right next to Elsa on the mat.

Jane organized her things and placed a few handouts on the carpet as she flipped to the second lesson in her workbook. Things got off to a smooth start and Jane had them begin with the exercises they had learned from the previous class, though Elsa's mood had changed since the last time they were all together. Instead of being swept into a hormonal frenzy through the use of elaborate stretching and heavy petting required during the relaxation exercises, Elsa seemed to be enamored with Jane and tended to keep her focus on her instead of Anna.

Midway through the class Elsa had to take a restroom break thanks to all that apple juice she downed, which left Anna and Jane alone for a few awkward minutes.

"So Anna, I guess we're quite similar in our professions. I hear you're a teacher?" Jane asked in a pleasant tone.

"Yeah I am. Third grade actually." She didn't attempt to make eye contact but darn if Jane wasn't so polite. She really was just so nice it was hard for Anna to not like her.

Jane could sense Anna was uncomfortable and spared them from any further small talk until Elsa returned.

"Jane I forgot to mention but we also have coffee in the kitchen if you'd like to take a break?" Elsa called as she waddled back into the living room.

"Actually I could use a restroom break myself. I'll be back." Anna climbed up the stairs and made sure to look back and keep an eye on the two of them.

When Anna returned she could hear sounds of laughter and giggles coming from the kitchen as she bounced down the stairs. Rounding the doorway she stumbled upon the two of the leaned over the island laughing about God knows what but Anna was a little perturbed to see them getting along so well. Too well in her opinion. They looked like two old friends going on and on about some personal inside joke and Anna began to feel like a third wheel in her own home.

The second part of the hour focused on the changing parts of a pregnant woman's body and the various stages of labor. Teaching two lesbians the parts of a pregnant woman's body was a snap and Jane found it immensely refreshing not to have any clueless father types in the room for once. Placenta, transition, crowning; there wasn't a term Anna didn't know and she was determined to show Jane that she could keep up with her and Elsa's mental superiority. The freckles on her cheeks rose higher with each smirk as she continuously cut Jane off before she could even finish naming each body part on her diagram.

To cap off the hour the pillows were once again brought out and Anna helped Elsa get into a comfortable side-lying position to practice relaxing through contractions.

"Okay now I'm going to have Elsa visualize a contraction, focusing on relaxing every single muscle in your body and Anna, you give her words of encouragement and help her pay attention to any tense areas you're noticing while timing the contraction and talking her through it. The more relaxed you are the less pain you'll have and the faster labor will go. Don't fight your body, work with it." Jane looked at her watch and gave them both two minutes to practice working through the contraction.

It was a piece of cake for Elsa to relax because she wasn't in any real pain and didn't even know what a contraction was supposed to feel like. Anna did her best and ran her hands over Elsa's body, massaging areas where she tended to hold stress before she was corrected by Jane.

"Anna that's great but _really_ get in there. Don't be afraid to apply pressure because it will distract from the pain and work against those tightening muscles. Here let me show you." Jane approached Elsa from behind, demonstrating a technique to relieve painful back labor and ground the flat of her thumbs along Elsa's lower spine. Elsa gasped as the pressure felt so good against her ever stressed and sore muscles.

"Oh God that feels so good. Ahhh," Elsa sighed, eyes rolling back in pleasure.

It was a good thing that Elsa had her eyes close because she missed the balls of fire that exploded in Anna's eyes. She didn't like anyone touching her wife, for educational purposed or not and only _she_ made Elsa produce those sounds.

"I think I got it Jane. Why don't I work on that for a while?" Anna said sharply as she lightly shoved Jane out of the way.

Replacing her hands on Elsa's back Anna gave it her all and took to those muscles like she was tenderizing a thick cut of meat and she jammed her thumbs deep into the sides of her spine.

"Oh yeah Anna, get in there." Elsa wasn't oblivious to what was going on and humored her wife a little, though it did feel amazing.

When class had ended Elsa showed Jane to the door and thanked her for coming and they said goodbye until next week. Elsa closed the door and was still smiling as she replayed parts of her and Jane's conversations in her head, laughing to herself. The smile quickly left her face when she saw Anna standing on the staircase. Her arms were heatedly crossed and the scowl on her face was so severe her eyebrows looked like one long russet line.

"You told me brunettes weren't your type," Anna snapped, blocking Elsa from heading upstairs.

"Wha-what?" she stuttered.

"You told me in the past that you were not attracted to brunettes," she repeated in a slow and clear voice.

"I'm attracted to _you_ , my wife." There was no response. "Remember?" holding up Anna's left hand and pointing out the band and rock on her finger.

"Oh I'm well aware we're married. Is Jane?" Anna was really pissed and she wasn't budging from the stairs. The damn stairs. Why did everything have to end in an argument on the stairs?

"You're jealous. You're jealous of Jane," Elsa concluded, almost laughing but it died in her throat when she saw the tight line of Anna's lips.

"I wouldn't feel jealous if you hadn't _flaunted_ yourself to her and left me in the dust," she shouted, forcing Elsa to take a step back.

"Anna, she's just interesting. I'm not attracted to her like that and besides, I don't think she's even gay." Settling in for the long haul, Elsa took up post against the banister to hear Anna out.

"Oh she's gay. You two had my gaydar going off like a fire alarm!" Now she was really mad. She'd even stamped her foot and her cheeks were burning red.

Jealous Anna wasn't anything new to Elsa. If anything it was kind of adorable how possessive she was of Elsa and took offense to anyone who tried to outbid her for her wife's attention. There was only one way to calm jealous Anna down and that was with sweet smooth talking Elsa.

Hoping she was playing her cards right, Elsa strode up to Anna so that she was standing on the step just below her and wrapped her arms around her waist with her chin firmly planted in the center of her chest.

"Oh my sweet Anna, I could never love anyone as much as I love you." She batted her lashes and kissed a line down Anna's sternum.

"You moaned for her Elsa." She was not going to be so easily swayed.

"It felt good I couldn't help it and it wasn't a sexual moan. And I didn't know she was going to do that. You know only you can get me to make those other crazy sounds." Elsa moved up a step so that she was even with Anna and admittedly worked her lips over the crook of her neck.

"Would a round three make you feel better?" That would have been more sex in one day than Anna had since Elsa got pregnant but there was no way she could have topped the shower escapade from this morning.

"No, but thank you. Elsa I'm serious. She's...smarter than me. You two have so much in common to talk about. Look at the way you were in the kitchen." Her voice mellowed and she seemed sincerely upset by Elsa and Jane's interactions.

"Wait a minute, let's sit down first because I just can't stand for this long anymore." Anna sat right down with ease, back perfectly straight with her hands on her knees while Elsa growned like an elderly man as she situated herself on the step.

"First of all you are smart but that's not the only thing I love about you and you know that. Second, this-" She moved Anna's hand to her belly, laying her own on top. "-means that we are together forever even more than before. Nothing could ever come between us. And I'm so sorry that I got caught up in Jane and neglected you. If you want I can get someone else."

As tempting as it was Anna couldn't ignore the fact that Jane was an incredible teacher. Plus Elsa liked her; that had already been confirmed. If Elsa said it was nothing, not even harmless flirting, then she didn't see why they couldn't continue with Jane.

"No, let's keep her. And now I kind of understand what you were talking about with Dr. Westergard last week and feeling like you were intruding on a date. So, I'm sorry about that too. It's nice to get attention sometimes. Although I think he was just trying to make you mad."

"That's probably true but, and I can't believe I'm going to say this about him, I can't blame him if he really did find you attractive. You're stunning." Elsa giggled as she playfully threaded her fingers through Anna's bangs and stroked her cheek with the back of her hand.

"These eyes, your hair, your lips, cheeks. Every part of you is full of life and bursting with color. But I love this most of all," her hand drifted from Anna's freckled cheek and she laid it firmly against her heart.

"Ok well I feel a little better now. C'mere." For once there were kisses on the stairs instead of yelling and crying. Anna kissed Elsa so hard she had to lean back against the wall to support the two of them. "I love you."

Happy again, Anna grabbed the bottom of Elsa's shirt and flipped it up over her stomach.

"Baby...did you hear that?" Her fingers lightly danced around Elsa's belly button and her eyes shifted from the bump to Elsa's smiling face. "I love your mommy," softly kissing Elsa's tummy. "I love her almost as much as I love you." Anna was speaking in a high pitched cooing mommy tone that was music to Elsa's ears.

"And wait until you see her. She's beautiful too." Anna placed another kiss on her tummy and Elsa cupped Anna's chin so that she could see those glimmering teal eyes.

"Your other mommy is also beautiful. Du er så utrolig vakker Anna (you are so incredibly gorgeous Anna)."

Anna didn't need a translation and simply mouthed a _thank you_ , laying her head against her belly to listen in on baby's activities.

* * *

Later that evening Elsa was finishing, to her amazement, an entire pineapple and half a box of strawberries. Anna was sitting on the couch cueing up a movie she had to watch for her class. Placing her bowl in the dishwasher, Elsa raised her arms up and stretched with the limberness of cat, trying to rid her body of some of the tightness around her back and obliques. Her shirt had rolled up her belly like a window shade and she unrolled it back into position as she waddled to the family room to join Anna.

Elsa walked up beside the couch and looked intently at the TV as overhead shots of snow capped mountains played on the screen.

"Wait, what is this?" she asked, referring to the movie Anna had playing.

"Umm... _Witches_. I have to pick a Roald Dahl book for my class to read and I'm thinking about _Witches_ but I wanted to see if this was appropriate to show to third graders." Anna moved her eyes away from the screen to Elsa who was standing jaw dropped pointing a finger at the screen.

"This is Norway!" she said a little too overenthusiastically, her wild eyes looking back and forth between Anna and the movie.

"Wait, what? How do you know?" Anna sat up and focused in a little more on the endless helicopter shots of mountain after mountain.

"Because this movie was filmed in Bergen when I was three. And Roald Dahl is Norwegian, well technically a British citizen but _still_. That and I'd recognize those mountains _anywhere_. There's just something so distinct about their shape and the way the rocks stick out from the snow. Ha, oh my God!" still awestruck by the happy coincidence of her wife of popping in a movie that took place in the very town Elsa was born in.

"Well, come watch it with me and you can tell me all about it." Anna held up the blanket she'd been wrapped in and Elsa quickly lay down on the couch as Anna snuggled up behind her and covered them with the blanket.

"That's it! That's Bergen! That's near the bay of Vågen. I've walked down that exact street so many times, except now most of those building are gone now."

Anna smiled and reveled in Elsa's excitement. She listened to every word she said and tried to imagine little Elsa walking the cute village streets of Bergen. Amazing how for the first time in seven years they were having a bonding conversation about Norway. Anna couldn't help but think maybe all she needed to do was shove a picture of Norway in front of Elsa's face because it clearly was a conversation starter with her now.

The Norwegian part of the movie was short lived as they story moved from Bergen to England and Elsa began to lose interest, rolling to lie on her back so that she could see Anna.

"Well that was fun while it lasted."

"We _have_ to go someday. The _look_ on your face...I know you want to go." Anna's eyes widen and she arched a playful eyebrow at Elsa.

"Maybe when our babies are older. I'm not putting us on a fourteen hour flight with little ones." The look on Elsa's face _was_ breathtaking. The woman oozed happiness and Anna looked down on her gleaming face and ran her fingers along her feathery soft hairline.

"Speaking of traveling. Am I going to get a hint about where we're going next week for our babymoon miss travel planner?" Elsa asked.

"Absolutely not. But there will be no flying since you're not clear for take off being over 32 weeks, so it'll be something within driving distance."

"Well whatever it is I'm sure I'll love it as long as you're there." Elsa yawned and continued to watch Anna as her eyes went back to the screen.

"I don't mean to be rude but what's with Norway and their trolls and witches and spooky stuff?"

"I don't know. It goes back to pagan days. Norway definitely has a _spooky_ side but I love it." Elsa giggled and Anna adjusted herself so that she could look down upon the blonde.

"Sometimes I forget that this beautiful woman I married is this hot European Viking woman from the land of ice and snow."

"Not always ice and snow but...yeah, I guess that's me."

When Anna didn't break eye contact Elsa's shyness took over and she nervously bit her bottom lip and watched Anna's eyes rove over every feature of Elsa's face. It was really was kind of amazing how Elsa was so mythically white. Sometimes the only signs of life were the blush on her cheeks, the shadow on her eyelids, or her crimson stained lips. After seeing the photo of her parents, Anna had no idea where Elsa had gotten her looks from, aside from the pale skin which looked like she'd inherited from her mother. But she altogether had a look of her own, far more stunning than either of her parents, no matter how good looking they actually were.

Elsa smiled as Anna's eyes continued to travel from her barely there freckles to her finely lined lips. Anna had remembered when she first saw Elsa up close and how she couldn't take her eyes off those lips. The way the top lip was flat against her philtrum, unlike Anna's cupid bow, and curved down into a pouty bottom lip at two little inflection points that stood out when Elsa wasn't smiling. It always drove Anna crazy.

Deciding she had stared long enough, she closed her eyes and placed a kiss against those very lips. When she pulled back Elsa's cheeks were redder and her grin was wider as well.

"You're in that _I'm pregnant and I need to be showered with love and affection_ stage, aren't you?" Elsa responding with a nod and an even bigger smile. If there was anything Anna did well and loved doing even more, it was giving Elsa that attention she craved.

She dipped back down to kiss her again but Elsa was smiling so big that there wasn't much for Anna lips to grab ahold of. A cupped hand against her face helped Elsa relax enough to spend some time making out with Anna like a couple of high school sweethearts, not letting things move beyond anything more that the sheer enjoyment of their lips on one another.

At some point Anna's eyes drifted back to the screen and she realized she had missed so much of the movie that she no longer even understood what was going on.

"I could do this all night, and you know I would, but I have to watch this because I have a lesson plan due on Monday. But stay and watch with me, please."

"Okay. But I want one more." One deep kiss that lasted way too long somehow ended up finishing with series of little kisses, of which Elsa had to make little _mmwa_ sounds in between each one before she finally rolled back over and let Anna finish her movie.

An hour and some odd minutes later the credits began to roll and Anna looked down at Elsa who had drifted off to sleep somewhere in the third act. She wasn't just asleep, she was in deep sleep. So much so her eyes weren't even making REM motions under her eyelids.

Trapped between Elsa and the back of the couch, Anna struggled to wiggle her way out and was unable to make any progress.

"Elsa, wake up. You're on my arm and it's falling asleep." Tiny pricks of pins and needles were buzzing up and down Anna's arm and she was quickly losing feeling.

"Hmmm?" Elsa's eyebrows arched up but her eyes failed to open, quickly drifting back to sleep.

As much as it felt like a sin to wake a sleeping pregnant woman, Anna couldn't ignore the fact that her arm was now completely numb and she also needed to pee really badly.

"Elsa, please! I have to pee. Which I'm sure you of all people can understand. Elsa!" A hard shove to the shoulder roused the blonde enough to release Anna's body, jumping to her freedom as she ran to the bathroom clutching her limp noodle arm against her body.

When she returned to the couch Elsa was awake but hadn't moved a muscle from when Anna had left her.

"Come on sleepyhead. Let's get you to bed." She grabbed Elsa's hands and jiggled her arms to help wake her.

"I'm so tired I don't think I can move." Elsa groaned.

"Come on I'll help you but I can't carry you. I'm not Thor here." Elsa sleepily giggled at Anna's attempt at Nordic references.

"Okay on the count of three I'm going to help you up. Give me your hands. One...two...three!" Anna pulled with all her might and lifted Elsa up off the couch, which wasn't much better because she had slumped all her weight against Anna who could barely stand for the both of them.

"Elsa don't fall on me. You'll hurt the baby...and me," giving a panicked look to the ground below as her legs began to shake and buckle.

Just in time Elsa was able to drag her feet under herself and let Anna return to an upright standing position.

 _Okay she's up. Now I just have to help her upstairs. Wait, stairs?!_

Anna looked at the endless number of steps they had to trek up before reaching the bedroom.

 _Great!_

Wrapping an arm around Elsa's back she led her to the stairs and repositioned herself to bear the weight of Elsa's load.

"This might be easier if you just wake up, or at least move your feet." Anna was now sounding more frustrated.

" _Okaaaaay_ ," Elsa replied, sounding like a whiney child.

Elsa trudged up the stairs, slowly moving one foot in front of the other with Anna behind her pushing against her back to keep the momentum going forward until she collapsed on her side of the bed.

The pride she felt after managing to get a half asleep pregnant woman all the way to bed was cut short when she realized Elsa was still in her clothes, which had to come off because she'd wake up in the middle of the night in a pool of her own sweat.

 _Oh God! When will end?_

Anna moved over to Elsa's side of the bed and threw all shame out the window as she straddled over Elsa's hips and pulled her shirt up and over her head, which was no easy feat since Elsa's arms were like gummy worms that were trickier than hell to get out of her sleeves. Throwing the shirt to the hamper she realized Elsa wasn't wearing a bra.

"Not that any of us will mind but you're sleeping in your underwear tonight. There's no way I'm putting pajamas you now. I'm too tired." Looping her fingers under the waistband of Elsa's pants, which for maternity style started just below her chest, she peeled the pants off with a heave and tucked Elsa's legs under the covers.

After getting herself ready for bed Anna turned out the light and snuggled into Elsa so that they were facing each other. She looked down at her tank top that suddenly felt in the way and pulled it over her head. Why should Elsa be the only one to sleep in the nude when they could both enjoy it?

She casually tossed the tank top over her shoulder snuggled back into Elsa's embrace, breasts smooshed together in what Anna could only see as her reward for getting a tuckered Elsa all the way into bed without much help.


	28. Chapter 28

34 Weeks

It was the evening before the much anticipated babymoon and Elsa had her suitcase haphazardly flung open on their bed while she tried to pack having absolutely no idea where they were going. Not having work that day, Anna had already packed and was watching Elsa play a harrowing guessing game with every piece of clothing on her side of the closet. Not only did she not know where they were going but the baby and her bump were growing so quickly that hardly anything fit anymore. Even her maternity clothes were either too warm for summer or reaching their expansion limit. She was still carrying the baby nice and high which made waistlines terribly uncomfortable. So far all she had packed were two sundresses and a swimsuit, definitely not enough for four days of whatever Anna had planned.

"I can't do this. You _have_ to tell me where we are going and _what_ exactly we are doing." Elsa huffed, nearly crying as she clenched her fists in frustration.

"You don't want it to be a surprise?" Anna said sounding a bit disappointed.

"No because I've had enough surprises over the last eight months. I want to _plan_. I want to be completely prepared for every moment of this vacation so that I don't have to worry about being uncomfortable." She looked at Anna's sullen face. She had so wanted it to be a surprise but at the same time she just didn't understand that Elsa was in no mood for surprises. Dropping the swim cover she had in her hands, Elsa walked over to Anna and kissed her lovingly on the cheek before whispering in her ear.

"I promise if you let me know where we are going and make this less stressful on me, I will be in the _best_ mood you could possibly ever imagine. It may even help me focus more on the couple time we have planned." Elsa used her huskiest voice, dripping with a vixen-like charm as she hummed a breathy laugh in Anna's ear.

"Okay, you win. Holding sex and romance against me will get you anything. It's so not fair. I'm so weak against you."

Elsa sat on the bed with wide blue eyes and waited for Anna to let her in on the big secret destination.

"Alright well, it's nothing over the top but I rented out a beachfront villa at a resort about two hours away. It's private, right on the beach with a pool and everything. And it's part of the resort so you can still use the spa, go out to dinner, and use all the amenities. And it includes housekeeping, which just sealed the deal for me."

Anna may not have thought it was anything special but Elsa couldn't have hoped for anything more. The beach meant she could get away with loose fitting dresses the entire time and the villa provided the privacy a hotel wouldn't have.

"That sounds perfect." Elsa grinned, not sure if she was more excited about being able to pack with intention or about where they were going, and peppered Anna's face with kisses as the redhead giggled mirthfully.

Now that the cat was out of the bag, Elsa returned to the closet and easily picked out some clothes for the babymoon, including a fancy dress Anna said she would need for the one and only secret she insisted on keeping.

* * *

The next morning they loaded up Elsa's car and, with a two hour drive ahead, Anna made sure Elsa didn't have a lot of liquids and made her pee before they left the house. She'd hope to take the scenic route down to the resort and there wouldn't be many places to stop and use the restroom. Planning a short road trip with a pregnant woman was a whole new ballgame. Basically everything had to revolve around restrooms, eating, and comfort.

The drive along the coast was nothing short of beautiful. The winding highway hugged along the ocean cliffside and provided a breathtaking view of water so clear they could see the rock formations and kelp beds floating just offshore. Jades and teals blurred together into an endless expanse of royal blue as they held hands for most of the drive down. The more miles they put behind them the more their worries seemed to slip away as relief and reassurance washed over them.

Without a single restroom break along the way, Anna was so proud of Elsa for holding it in for the entire two hour drive, the shiny black Audi pulled into the circular brick driveway of the Spanish style resort. Elsa was immediately enamoured with the front fountain but was pulled away by an impatient Anna who was much too excited to check in and show Elsa the villa.

Driving down the narrow street just a minute away from the main part of the resort, Anna could see the terracotta roof tiles of the villa and couldn't wait for Elsa to see the place. But as they pulled up to the Spanish style home the only thing Elsa wanted to see was the nearest bathroom.

"This is it! I'm not an architect but I thought you'd be impressed." Anna keenly watched Elsa's face, waiting for the excitement to flourish across her features.

"The arcades and ornamental iron work on the scrolling stair railings are just spectacular, really. Now if you could just open those hand-carved Spanish revival double doors so that I can pee, I would be most grateful," Elsa smirked as she placed her hand on the door handle and waited for Anna to park the car. As soon as the car came to a stop Elsa flew out the door and up the stairs before remembering that Anna had the key.

"Anna, you have they key. Hurry!" Elsa doubled over begging her body to hold it in just a little bit longer as Anna fumbled with the key and ran to the door. There were three keys on the ring and of course it was the last one Anna tried that finally opened the door and let Elsa make it to the bathroom in the nick of time.

When Elsa returned she found Anna on the comfy looking sofa facing out to the narrow lap pool just outside.

"Better?" Anna asked as she whipped her head around to face Elsa, copper tresses bouncing over her left shoulder.

"Much. For some reason she thinks it's funny to thrash her head against my full bladder." Elsa came over and next to Anna, admiring the brilliant white fabric on the cushions.

"This place is beautiful and I'm so excited for the next four days, you have no idea. I really want it to be special." She smiled at Anna, knowing she probably didn't quite understand why the next four days were so important to Elsa.

"It will be. There's no reason why we can't start to relax now." Anna brought her lips to Elsa's and she leaned her back against a pair of gold side-pillows as she kissed her. Eyes lidded shut as Anna patiently let their lips linger. They were in no rush.

"Anna. There was something I wanted to say before we officially start this _vacation_." Anna's eyes fluttered open and she felt Elsa's hand gently running through hair.

"What's that?" Anna asked and quirked her head.

"For the past week or so I can really start to feel the pregnancy taking its toll on me and I just know that even though I've had this amazing urge for most the time, my body is becoming so uncomfortable that after this trip I'm probably not going to feel like making love much longer. Possibly...at all."

There was a look of surprise in Anna's teal-blue eyes and the corners of her mouth turned down but she fought to keep from frowning.

"Believe me, it's almost depressing to admit. And I mean no more for me, not you. But I know I have to heal after delivery and anything could happen. I could have to have a c-section or who knows what. And I don't know how I'm going to feel after everything or what the hormones are going to do. So I wanted this weekend to be special because it may be our last time for a while."

It had been in the back of Anna's mind, she knew at some point sex was going to be taken off the table and not just the increased amount thanks to Elsa's hormones but all together. It was an unreal expectation to even assume that Elsa would want to return to sex right after having a baby and starting to breastfeed. She didn't think it would feel like that moment had come so quickly, almost like a shock.

For some married couples sex dropped off from everyday to once or just a few times a week at best but they'd always been able to keep that part of their marriage healthy, thriving even. Suddenly the next four days were not only a sendoff to their life as a couple before becoming a family of three but would also mark the hiatus from their sex life as well.

While Anna was busy processing everything, Elsa was eagerly awaiting her reply but was met with an expressionless face and eyes that had taken up a sudden interest in a decorative conch shell on the side table behind the blonde.

"Anna. Say something," Elsa murmured.

There was really only one thing she _could_ say. "Then...we'll make the next four days as special as they can be. With no pressure. And after baby we'll just see how things go but I want you to know that even though I _love_ making love to you, it's only one part of our relationship. An _important_ part, let's not kid ourselves but just please know that I want you to take all the time in the world before you're ready again." She spoke with such understanding that it brought a warm smile to Elsa's face.

"Thank you. But we're not there yet so I expect your best this trip." Elsa broke the mood with light smack to Anna's rear, eliciting a high pitched yelp from the redhead.

"Oh! Yes _ma'am_. Well, to set the mood, tonight we are going out in that fancy dress I asked you to pack to a romantic dinner overlooking the ocean at the resort." Anna had resumed her frisky demeanor and lowered herself to kiss that sensitive spot just behind Elsa's ear.

"I like the sound of that," Elsa purred as she and Anna spent a good amount time on the couch covering each other in kisses before getting ready for dinner.

* * *

Anna waited outside while Elsa finished prepping herself in front of a long marble vanity that had the most sumptuous chair for her to sit on and gave her weary feet a break.

Anna looked up at the sun as it was nearing the thin black line of the horizon and started to worry that they would miss the sunset from the restaurant. But knowing she couldn't rush a pregnant woman she just heaved a long sigh and decided that she wasn't going to let it bother her.

Her heart jumped with excitement as she heard Elsa's heels clicking against the dark wood floors, hoping they would still be able to make their reservation in time.

"I made the reservation for eight but if we're running late we can...oh _Elsa_ , you look gorgeous." Anna's mouth dropped at the sight of Elsa's sparkling blue maternity dress fitted snugly around her curvaceous body. Flowing blonde curls cascaded down her left shoulder and the halter neckline of the dress showed off her blossoming bosom in a way that made Anna choke back an elated cry.

"My last chance to look sexy for a while so I thought I'd put my best effort into it." Elsa smiled shyly as Anna ogled her blushing wife, lips still agape.

"You um...I-I...wha-...oh my God I can't talk. You have literally left me speechless." Anna nervously laughed and Elsa walked right up to her and kissed her lightly, as to not ruin anyone's makeup.

"I'll take that as a compliment and just say thank you. I hope I haven't made us late." She glanced over her shoulder at the clock and noticed they weren't late but were cutting it close.

"If we leave now we can make it. It's just up the road at the resort and I was trying to time it with the sunset to make everything extra romantic." With everyone dressed and ready, Anna helped Elsa down the steps just outside the front door and into the car as she pressed the pedal to the metal to make it to the perfect dinner she had planned for three weeks.

Thanks to valet parking, they made it in time and were shown to their table right on the edge of the outdoor seating area that provided a majestic panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. It was a classic five star restaurant with white tablecloths and food that looked more like modern art than something one would eat. It was exactly what tickled Elsa's fancy and somewhere they would never be able to bring a baby to.

"You have wildly outdone yourself so far on this trip. Look at the view. This is so _romantic_." Elsa did enjoy the ocean view. She could hear the evening tide crashing against the shore and even smell the saltwater dancing in the breeze but what she was most captivated by was the radiant redhead seated across from her. The amber colored lanterns and flames from the tiki torches gave her copper hair a fiery glow. Her cheeks were warm with a light pink blush and the cute little way the corners of her mouth curled when she smiled sent Elsa's heart racing. After almost seven years not only did Anna manage to continue to take her breath away but she was still finding new ways to sweep her off her feet and make her feel like the most loved person on the planet.

"I just wanted everything to be special and this is something we probably won't be able to do after baby comes. And I want it to be about us because...I love you so much. Sometimes I think you'll never know just how much and I don't know if I could ever make you feel the same way."

"No one has ever made me feel the way you do. I don't even feel like my life truly began until I met you. I know we've been talking about my past more but to be honest that feels like some other life or someone else's life. This is the only one that matters to me." Her hand slid across the linen covered table in search of Anna's. Once they found each other, Elsa swept up Anna's hand and kissed the palm several times before placing it against her cheek.

The splendid moment had to be put on hold when the waitress came to take their drink and dinner orders. Just because she was pregnant didn't mean she couldn't have something special that was nonalcoholic so Anna went ahead and ordered sparkling tea for the two of them.

"I didn't even know they made sparkling tea," Elsa said as she placed her napkin in her lap and folded her hands to make a nice little resting place for her chin.

"I called ahead and explained the situation and that's what they recommended. It's supposed to be the closest thing to the taste of champagne." Anna's eyes drifted back to Elsa and she found herself shamelessly staring at the perfect view of her cleavage her dress provided.

"I'm sorry but I have to ask. How is _this_ happening up here?" Anna waved a hand over her sternum, referring to bare center of Elsa's chest and the magical way everything seemed to be perfectly held together, showing all kinds of skin but yet there was no sign of a bra. There was absolutely no fabric whatsoever covering the porcelain chasm between her tumescent breasts. "Are you even wearing a bra?" The front of Elsa's wardrobe had a Houdini like quality to it and Anna just had to know the secret to keeping those things in place with such a small amount of fabric.

Elsa's cheeks nearly matched the color of the setting sun as she dipped her chin and giggled softly to herself before suggestively looking Anna in the eye.

"You'll have to find out later," she purred, eyes smoky with words smoother than a fine red wine.

Recrossing her legs under the table, Anna accidently bumped Elsa's feet and somehow they ended up playing a lascivious game of schoolgirl footsie with each other under the table.

"I brought some questions that I thought would be kind of fun while we wait for dinner. I got them from group but it's supposed to be a fun way to kind of relive our pre baby memories." Anna reached into her purse and pulled out a small stack of index cards.

"Sure. Do I go first?" Elsa asked and pointed to herself, right at that chasm and Anna had to bite her lip as she handed the cards to Elsa.

"How about you can ask me first," Anna chirped.

Elsa shuffled the cards before flipping over the top card and reading it to Anna. "What was your first thought when you met your wife?"

" _Dear God_ I hope she's gay." They both laughed in unison, drawing attention from the table next to them.

"I actually thought that too but you answered that question by the way you were eying me," Elsa said as she tried to quiet her laughter.

"Okay but seriously. My first thought was I _have_ to find out who that woman is and I'm not leaving until I do." A fluttering feeling of butterflies swirled through Elsa's chest as she thought back to the moment she'd first seen Anna across that dark room, not knowing her life would forever be changed that night.

Anna smiled and took the stack back from Elsa. "My turn. What's the best or worst part about sharing a bed with your wife? Be kind, I'm aware I snore and drool," she said as she lowered her gaze and shot Elsa a smirk.

"Yes, you do indeed. The best part is, when I don't have a giant beach ball in the way, how you're just a little bit smaller than me so that when I cuddle you in bed it's like I can wrap my whole body around you and envelope you in a blanket of me."

Both of their cheeks were now hurting from smiling so much.

"Yeah I've missed that lately but I'll be able to be enveloped again soon. I feel like I've been the outer part of the spoon for the entire pregnancy." Anna put her card on the bottom and handed them back to Elsa and took a sip from the sparkling tea that had just arrived.

"Name one annoying habit about your spouse. _You_ be kind this time," Elsa said over the rim of her sparkling flute.

"I don't know if I'd considered it a habit but sometimes it kind of bothers me that your body never ever ever strikes an awkward position. It's always so perfect and graceful. I mean do your feet even flex? _Ever_? Also, you're a bit of a neat freak but we've never had to pay for a house cleaning service so I'm not really going to complain about that. Although I'm a little afraid what nesting is going to look like for you."

"I'm sure I won't look so graceful when I'm pushing out a seven pound baby without drugs." They shared another laugh and continued to sip on their bubbling pale pink drinks.

"Okay, last one for each of us. What has been the most difficult point in your marriage?" Anna didn't read the question ahead of time and anxiously gulped when the laughter quickly died down.

Elsa nervously ran her fingers along the edge of the table as she thought about what to say, knowing she wanted to answer honestly but without hindering the mood.

"Besides the more recent struggles with...everything, I'd say when your parents died because...I couldn't do anything to bring them back to you. I couldn't protect you from the pain and I felt so helpless. It was really hard to watch you go through that and know there wasn't anything I could do to change it." Her voice was brittle but she smiled when Anna reached out to squeeze her hand.

"Your last one for me. Go." Anna said, choking back what felt like a cry as Elsa read the final question to her.

"What is your favorite meal your wife makes. That's not fair. I cooked when we first met...kind of." Elsa's face twisted as she shrugged her bare shoulder. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd cooked for Anna.

"It's okay, I have an answer. Although nobody can order take out like you. Um… my favorite thing you make is krumkake and not just because they are heaven in a little crispy cone but because I'll never forget the two best things that happened when you made them. First, we found out we were having a girl and I remember how excited we were to finally find that out. And the other reason is because for the first time, I felt like you let me into your heart...the whole way. You shared something from your past without me forcing you to and I know that wasn't easy."

Anna may have been able to hold her tears but Elsa wasn't and let one single tear escape from the corner of her eye before quickly dabbing it with her napkin. The cards had been a fantastic idea and thanks to Anna they were able to take a brief yet emotional trip down memory lane.

Dinner was nothing less than perfection. Elsa finally got to treat her taste buds to the French cuisine she'd always been fond of with the exquisite duck l'orange while Anna went for the simple yet expensive filet mignon. It was so delicious that they ate every bite and somehow still had room to split the crème brûlée for dessert.

The wind had picked up and the chill of the night air had settled over the patio, unbeknownst to Anna and Elsa who had long left their conversation behind and were enjoying the silence that accompanied their wandering hands that kept tangling and untangling together as they gazed longingly into each other's eyes. The flicker of candlelight on their faces only highlighted their wide wanton eyes as they satiated their infatuation with one another. With one last look at the now black sea, they left a hefty tip and drove back to the villa for some much needed privacy.

* * *

Anna was pulling out all the stops for this vacation. The days of romantic nights and time focused on just them were numbered and she was going to recreate every cliché she could and leave this trip behind her without a single regret.

While Elsa bolted to the bedroom to remove her heels and of course use the restroom, Anna turned on the fire and ice style fireplace in the front room and began to set the mood for their next romantic endeavor. She found the fire and ice style to be a tad bit cheesy but it was perfect for summer being that it was more of a decoration and didn't really give of any heat. She then pushed all the furniture out of the way and grabbed the hideaway mattress off the couch in the other room. Next she went and collected every single pillow in the entire villa and threw them on top of the mattress and covered the whole thing with a soft down duvet from the extra bedroom. Sexy romantic naked time in front of a fake fireplace was what she wanted and in order to make that happen she needed to make sure Elsa was as comfortable as possible.

When Elsa emerged from the bedroom the villa was submerged in darkness except for the orange glow of the fireplace. Sensual jazz music was already playing on the stereo and Anna was just finishing pulling the drapes over the windows.

"I thought we could spend some time in front of the fire. It's so beautiful and you're so beautiful." It was adorable how hard Anna was trying. Elsa tiptoed over to the fireplace and admired the flames as they glinted and crackled in time to the music.

"Here. Let me." Anna motioned for Elsa to turn around and she brushed her long flowing hair to one side to access the zipper on her dress. She could smell the sweet scent of vanilla and shea butter as she slowly pulled the zipper down and kissed every inch of newly exposed skin along Elsa's back. The dress fell to the floor and Anna's jaw dropped when she saw Elsa was completely naked from the waist up.

"You _weren't_ wearing a bra after all," Anna gasped.

"There's no way I was going to make it through a whole dinner in that dress with a bra on _and_ be comfortable. Besides, the bra is built into the dress. Maternity designers really do think of everything." Elsa grinned as she strode up to Anna, hips swaying as she reached behind her to unzip her dress and let it join the blue one on the floor, kissing the pulse point on the column of Anna's neck as she did so.

Elsa reached to unclasp Anna's bra and quickly realized it was a front-closing bra. Moving her hands around to the front she unsnapped and pulled the shells apart at a tantalizingly slow speed, brazenly exposing her sweetly curved mounds.

Removing the last of their undergarments, they snuggled beneath the warmth of the duvet and slowed their pace even more to settle into the moment. They had all night and although they wanted nothing more than to make love as many times as they could, they also wanted to spend some time just enjoying the sacred simplicity of taking things slow.

"Dinner was amazing. I'm utterly floored by the amount of planning you've done," Elsa said softly as she caressed Anna's cheek with the back of her hand.

"Thank you," Anna whispered as she let her eyes flutter close and sank deeper into the moment. "Elsa."

"Hmm?" the blonde replied sweetly.

"Kiss me."

They had started out laying side by side but as soon Anna made her wishes known Elsa straddled over her on all fours and kissed her deeply and passionately, as if this was their last day on Earth and they only had a few precious hours left to be together before it all ended. Anna's lips were velvety soft and she followed Elsa's lead as she slipped her tongue inside and let it dance and curl with Anna's. They wrapped their arms around each other and didn't even bother to break their kiss for air, rather taking long inhales of needy breathes through their noses so they never had to part.

Elsa's hand left the sanctuary of Anna's mane and moved to palm at her creamy breast, releasing a sigh that was drowned by a kiss. Completely bare and hovering above her, Anna let her hands roam the curves of her wife's pregnant body, relishing her alabaster skin that was smoother than silk. She minded Elsa's breasts to avoid another lactation fiasco but that didn't stop her from letting her hands run over and along the sides of the beautiful swell that beheld their baby.

"Does this bother you?" Anna asked nearly breathless.

"No. Feels good."

"This is just so beautiful. I want to enjoy all of it while I still can."

Months ago Anna might have felt apprehensive about incorporating Elsa's baby bump into their foreplay. It was easier to just let the baby be and not think about having an audience. Things had changed and the thought of this beautiful woman above her carrying their baby had a bewitching effect on Anna. Her body was doing this amazing thing, creating and giving life while protecting their most precious treasure. Her hands delighted in every curve, every smooth stretch of skin. She was a goddess. Her goddess.

"You feel amazing," she breathed against Elsa's lips.

Something bloomed deep within Elsa, making her bold as she brought her mouth to Anna's rose-tipped nipple, letting the pink nub glide between her full and throbbing lips before suckling it into her warm mouth. A hand came to rest at the back of Elsa's head as she kissed her way down Anna's sun-kissed skin, stopping just below her navel to let the anticipation build to a burning frenzy.

She glanced up the plane of Anna's body, watching it heave with excitement as the sweet scent of her arousal filled the blonde's head. With a quick and shallow breath Anna spread her legs wider and welcomed Elsa to her warm heat waiting down below, parting her petal soft folds as Elsa gently kissed and licked her inner lips. With tender persistence, Elsa probed further until she found the jewel that adorned the crown on her wife's most treasured sweetness. Anna's breath quickened as Elsa began to worship her soft pink bud, taking it in between her teeth before making sweeping circles that made Anna ache up and through her core.

Anna's small hips wriggled against Elsa's mouth but the blonde refused to let her go and grabbed her hips to secure her firmly against the unyielding strokes of her tongue. Anna's back arched like the crest of the waves just off in the distance and Elsa couldn't resist running a hand down the center of Anna's well toned abdomen, causing the muscles to jump and quiver under her touch. Anna's breath was now ragged but she begged Elsa for more as blood roared through her veins like a wildfire. The love she felt and the way they were physically connected, expressing their matrimonial bond was almost overwhelming.

"Elsaaaa...oh Elsa...I love you...I l-love you," she sighed as each movement of Elsa's tongue pushed her closer to that feeling she was desperately chasing.

"I love you too," Elsa replied as she deeply kissed Anna's core.

When it seemed like Anna couldn't possibly take any more Elsa decided to slip two fingers inside her beautiful wife and make her writhe to the rhythm of her thrusts. The deeper she pushed the higher Anna moaned and wailed in a song just for her, the most beautiful sound to Elsa's ears. The way her name rolled off Anna's tongue as it floated on a breath of air sent shivers down her spine. She tasted so pure, so delectable that Elsa found herself having to pull away just to release her own audible pleasure as well.

Hot needy breaths flushed against Anna's throbbing center as she tried to hold herself back, wanting the moment to last forever yet finding it overly tempting to surrender to the building heat below; losing herself with each sublime brush of Elsa's tongue and lips.

Elsa's free hand hugged Anna's hip as the redhead urgently ran a hand through her red locks, scraping her nails along her scalp as she poised herself to be seized by the rush of ecstasy building in her loins until the ripples of passion flooded through her. As her breath whispered shallowly from her lungs, Elsa held Anna's hand as it tightened with her release. Her body quaked and bucked as Anna was exalted to that place of complete rhapsody, a sight that Elsa let her eyes hungrily feast upon as her wife spasmed around her fingers.

"That was...mmmm God...that was great," Anna panted as she fought for more oxygen.

Elsa chuckled with satisfaction and came to lie next to Anna, softly kissing her rosy freckled cheeks and lips. Tired from her own efforts, Elsa fought to keep eyes open; her languid body becoming drowsier by the minute.

"No, don't fall asleep. We're not done yet," Anna pleaded as Elsa's heavy eyes finally lidded closed and let her head slump against the pillow.

"My needs aren't always about receiving you know. I love you and I wanted you...so badly, you don't even know. And at this point nothing could feel better than sleep after that. Not even more sex." Elsa smiled, eyes still closed and Anna cuddled as close as she could get to her; falling asleep to the dancing flames in the fireplace.

* * *

Anna was lying in bed listening to the sounds of the seagulls outside when Elsa slipped back into bed after morning bathroom trip number three. She had tried to be as quiet as she could, not knowing Anna was already waking up, and rolled over to look out at the morning sun sparkling off the waves outside. Just as she was letting her body settle back into bed she felt Anna curl up along her backside and plant a kiss just behind her ear that made her giggle in surprise.

"Good morning my love," Anna hummed against Elsa's skin and laid another soft kiss just a bit lower this time, causing Elsa to scrunch her shoulder up at the slight tickle of Anna's lips.

"I hope I didn't wake you." Elsa pushed her body back until it spooned perfectly with Anna's and sighed at the loving hand slowly caressing up and down her outer thigh.

"I was kind of already just lying here half awake." A yawn escaped and she returned to rest her chin in the crook of Elsa's neck.

"So last night was... _fun_ ," Anna said as she wrinkled her nose. Elsa couldn't see her but knew that a smile was stretching across Anna's face.

"Mhmm. I enjoyed it _very_ much." Elsa replied coyly.

"I didn't get to give you a turn though." Anna grinned as she lightly nipped at the back of Elsa's ear.

"I was just tired last night and I-" Elsa started to say when Anna quickly interjected.

"Shhhh. You just lie here and enjoy yourself."

Elsa's spine wiggled and straightened as Anna slipped her hand under the back of her underwear. The pillow between her knees lifted her upper leg just high enough to provide Anna easy access to Elsa's center that was already moist with arousal. Elsa's hand gripped at the pillow under her head as Anna ran two smooth fingers down along the sides of her inner lips where they met at the sensitive bundle of nerves at the top. Anna started to kiss down the nape of Elsa's slender neck and steadily circle her fingers against her swelling bud, drawing out the sweetest noises from the blonde.

"That feel good?" Anna whispered, knowing all too well what her magic hand was doing to her wife.

"S-so good. This is the best position ever...ahhh."

"Someone at group said this worth trying."

"Mmmm...ohhh...I love your group. Don't ever s-stop...going." No one was really talking about group anymore, just the throbbing from the heat Anna was enkindling between her wife's legs.

"I don't plan on stopping...because I know you want more," she rasped against Elsa's ear. She was so slick and wet that Anna's fingers glided into her without the slightest bit of resistance and Elsa threw her hips back, pressing into Anna as they began to writhe against one another.

The position was a winner for sure. Elsa could fully relax and enjoy herself comfortably and Anna really liked being able to be so close together. She could bury her nose in Elsa's hair and smell her sweet scent or cover her neck and shoulder in deliciously wet kisses. But the angle of her hand or something just wasn't working right so she had to improvise and flip her wrist so the pads of her fingers stroked against Elsa's front wall as she continued to search for the rough little spot that would send her wife reeling toward that empyrean paradise. As soon as she found it everything starting moving really fast. Elsa was helplessly undulating her body in time with Anna's and could even feel her breasts sliding and hardening against her back.

Just a few strokes against that heavenly spot and Anna could already feel Elsa's walls getting tighter as she flung her head back and listened to Anna whisper sweet nothings into her ear. Every honey coated word brought her a little closer until she contracted around Anna's fingers and a loud moan rang throughout the room. She rode out her pulsating orgasm and heaved against Anna's body, making her feel like she was halfway to her own release as she held Elsa against her.

"Annnna...ohhh Anna," Elsa cooed as she slowly rode out the aftershocks.

"Okay I think that may be my new favorite position for you. I really like holding and pleasuring you at the same time. That was hot." Elsa had only heard a few words while Anna was talking. Her head was still lost in the throes of euphoria.

"Wanna go to the beach this morning? Come on, we could build a sandcastle and jump in the waves and then go get lunch at the resort." Anna jumped clear over Elsa and was dancing with excitement in front of the sliding glass door as she looked out at the beach and all that sand that was just begging to be shaped into a colossal fortress in an ode to summer.

"I...I may need a minute here." The postcoital sleepiness had taken over Elsa and even if she wanted to go outside her legs were still gelatinous and useless anyhow.

"Why don't you go ahead and I'll meet you out there," Elsa said as she let her eyes flutter close.

"But I can't build a sandcastle without you. You're the architect! Who will oversee the project?" Realizing she was talking to an unresponsive Elsa, Anna saw the light and threw on her bikini to get a head start on some beach action.

* * *

Almost an hour later Elsa awoke with a start, mad at herself that she'd only meant to rest for a few minutes and not almost a whole hour. She felt so bad knowing Anna had been out there all by herself, on a couples' vacation no less, and hurried to pull on her swimsuit and cover-up before heading outside.

As she walked out to the waterline and scanned up and down the beach she couldn't find Anna anywhere until she heard her laughing off in the distance. Further down the beach Anna was building a sandcastle with a little girl not more the five years old; cute with curly light brown hair and dressed in an adorable yellow swimsuit.

"It needs a moat!" Anna gasped with a childlike excitement as she grabbed a bright orange shovel.

"Whassa a moat?" the little girl asked as she cocked her head to one side.

Elsa walked closer and smiled as she listened in on their conversation.

"A moat protects the castle from bad guys and dragons. And you're in luck because I am the best moat maker in the entire world! Well, on this beach at least." Anna dug her shovel into the sand and showed the little girl how to scoop it out and make a ring around the castle. Anna was so good with children and she always made it look so easy. Elsa's heart swelled as she could visualize Anna with their own daughter, teaching her how to build a moat to protect it from the bad guys.

"You must be Elsa," a voice said.

Elsa looked around to find the owner of the voice and found a woman not much older than herself sitting in a beach chair with a book in her hands.

"Anna told me to look out for a pregnant blonde that might wander down this way looking for her. That's my daughter Emily she's playing with." Finally things were starting to make sense. It didn't really surprise her that Anna had made two new friends after being out there for only 45 minutes. She was such a social butterfly.

"I'm Meghan by the way. I hope I didn't surprise you too much." Meghan held out her hand to shake Elsa's.

"It's nice to meet you. And I'm Elsa, as you already know I suppose. Have they been playing long?" Elsa looked over to find Anna chasing Emily around the castle pretending to be a dragon.

"Not long after Anna came out here. She's great with little ones."

Elsa nodded and they both watched as the two played on the beach. "Well she's a teacher but it's also just in her nature."

"I hear you two are having a girl as well." Meghan looked back to Elsa, specifically at her baby bump.

"Yes and soon. About six weeks more." Elsa couldn't help but glow as she beamed and ran her hands over the swell.

"Girls are fun. You two will enjoy it so much. Just wait and see. Are you getting nervous at all? I remember getting really anxious around that time and no one seemed to understand."

"Yes! Anna has been great but it's like you said. No one really seems to get how terrifying it is to know you have to go through the greatest pain that exists to have the baby. I'm so done being pregnant and I just want her in my arms already but I keep hearing these horror stories from other women and now I'm dreading it." Her hand was still sweeping over the curve of her bump; something that had become a natural reaction every time she talked about the baby.

"The great thing is that when it's all over you'll only remember the good parts. I mean yeah you'll remember it was painful but not as much as the feeling you get when you see them open their eyes for the first time. Or smell their head. I don't know if you know this but the smell of your baby's head is like a drug. It's just incredible." Elsa smiled as the woman watched her daughter scamper about the beach with Anna, yellow bucket in hand while they retrieved some water for their moat.

"Thank you. I needed that little reminder to know this is all worth it," Elsa said as she breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how anxious Elsa was there was no escaping the fact that the baby had to come out but it felt so much better to hear from another mom herself that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

"Believe me, when it's over you'll find yourself saying how you'd have done it again 100 times just to have that baby in your arms. It's worth it and so much more. Emily! Time to come in!" she called to the little girl.

Both Anna and Emily groaned in response and Elsa went to collect her redhead and dragged her away to build their own sandcastle, for which Emily was kind enough to let them borrow her beach toys to use.

"What kind of castle should we build architect Elsa?" Anna was on all fours and surveying the plot of moist sand she'd picked out to erect their masterpiece.

"Gothic. Something Romanian inspired, Transylvania perhaps. Sixteenth century, spires, flying buttresses, ramparts, crenellations. The whole bit." She laughed to herself when Anna looked at her in confusion.

"Cornorations? Can we shoot for something simpler. Last time we did gothic I couldn't get the spires right and got frustrated." Anna let out a puff of air that tousled her bangs against her forehead.

"Fine. I'll settle for a Normal stone castle. It's the classic beach castle anyhow." She flashed a gloating smile to Anna and handed her a shovel.

"I love when you talk architect talk. It makes me so _hot_." Anna crawled over to Elsa on all fours doing her best Baywatch impression with her hair blowing in the sea breeze.

"Seriously?" arching a brow in disbelief.

"Not really. You might as well have said it in Norwegian cause either way, I don't have a clue what you're talking about. But I'd listen to you talk about it all day."

They took turns shoveling sand into the buckets and patting them down before flipping them over to form four main parts of the castle. After finishing the curtain wall that Elsa insisted was integral to the time period, they built a moat around it and filled it with water. Anna completed the whole look with a few strands of kelp and seaweed for decoration.

"It's beautiful. I have sand everywhere it shouldn't be but I had a great time," Anna said as she tried to shake the granules of sand from her bikini top and bottom.

"Me too. Let's make another one tomorrow."

"It's a date," Anna replied with a smile.


	29. Chapter 29

In the morning Anna had snuck away early and made a run to the market at the resort to pick up something for breakfast. Thankfully when she returned Elsa was still asleep and she quickly made a breakfast that would satisfy Elsa's cravings. Just as Anna finished cooking and loading everything onto a bed tray she heard Elsa stirring in the bedroom.

"Oh good you're still in bed." Anna brought the tray into the room and set it on the ground, pulling back the duvet to make room before she set the most incredible breakfast in front of Elsa's widening blue eyes.

"You brought me breakfast in bed?" Elsa gasped and nearly cried at the perfectly folded strawberry and banana crepes drizzled with Nutella and a light dusting of powdered sugar. Anna had even thought to put Elsa's prenatals and vitamins on the tray along with a tall glass of orange juice.

"This is...Anna. Come here." Words could not express what kisses clearly could and she peppered Anna's face with as many as she could. Bringing a pregnant woman breakfast in bed secured that person a special place in that woman's heart. Especially when Nutella was involved.

"You spoil me. You know that right?" Elsa held onto each of Anna's braids as she pulled her in and pressed another kiss to her lips, sighing at the touch. She could have kissed her all day if there wasn't a scrumptious plate of Parisian goodness in front of her waiting to be devoured.

"It's not spoiling if you deserve it. My girls deserve the best." She smiled back at Elsa who had turned from elated to being on the emotional brink of crying from joy.

"Now eat before it gets cold. I'm gonna to go get mine and we can enjoy breakfast in bed together." Anna returned to the kitchen and brought a second tray back into the bedroom and scooted up next to Elsa, diving fork first into the delectable crepes.

"Anna this is so good. I might cry."

"Go ahead. I won't judge," Anna muffled through a mouthful of crepes, chocolate smearing on the corner of her lips and she shoveled bite after delicious bite into her mouth.

"Seriously. You are the best cook but an even better wife. I love you so much. I love you even more than Nutella. What did I ever do to deserve you?" Somehow Elsa was able to break away from the chocolate and citrus perfection long enough to cup Anna's face and give her a chocolatey kiss.

"You don't think you built up enough karma growing up to deserve someone who loves you without hurting you or making you live in fear?" Anna had meant for that to be a joke but didn't realize what a heavy question it was until after she blurted it out.

"I'm sorry that came out completely wrong," Anna said remorsefully, gulping down a forkful of food.

"It's okay. I know what you meant. By the way, baby approves of this breakfast as she's fluttering in approval. Feel." Elsa took Anna's hand and placed it against the area where the baby was indeed rolling and squirming in delight from the sugar rush. At nearly five pounds the baby was running out of room to give a hearty kick anymore and was only able to make smaller movements instead.

"She's getting so big. What am I feeling here?" Anna asked as she circled her fingers over a protruding bump.

"A knee," Elsa muffled through a full mouth, cupping her hand out in front to politely hide her licking lips.

"Does it feel different now that she's bigger?"

"She doesn't move as much but when she does I can feel even the tiniest flinch and I can tell how she's orientated pretty easily now. Let me show you." Elsa lifted her shirt and lovingly guided Anna's hand down to the lowest part of her abdomen and began to give Anna a mental image of their baby's position in her womb, drifting her hand clockwise around the surprisingly firm ellipse of her belly.

"Her head is down here. Sometimes I can even feel her hand down there too, I think when she brings it to her mouth or touches her head maybe. Then her back comes round this way. One knee is here and I can't feel the other one but one foot is also right about here." Seeing that Anna was lost in wonder, Elsa pushed the bed tray away and let Anna's hands explore and marvel at the miracle before her. Her delicate fingertips tickled as they skimmed over the taut skin, settling over a light coffee colored line that faintly ran down from Elsa's belly button and faded out near her pubic bone.

"This is new, well darker." Anna's finger traced up and down the line, smiling at all the splendor that came with the changes of pregnancy.

"The linea nigra and I can't wait for it to go away. And look, my poor innie is almost an outie now." The lip of Elsa's poor belly button was hanging on for dear life as it struggled to maintain its shape, refusing to give ground and merge flush with the rest of her spherical appendage.

"I can only see beauty here." Anna crouched down and let her lips hug along the line while speaking in between kisses, showing her wife how much she truly did love every change of her body. "This (kiss) is (kiss) beautiful (kiss)." A smile played across Elsa's lips and her heart warmed to a sweltering heat as she looped a strand of copper hair around her fingers. This wonderful woman before her had not only brought her breakfast in bed but continued to make her heart swell with her unwavering professions of love and devotion.

"I am thrilled to be having a baby but I am going to miss this body of yours." The kisses strayed from the fallow colored line and migrated over the hill of their baby, all the way up to Elsa's patiently waiting rubescent lips.

"Why are you so good to me?" she whispered to Anna.

"For the same reason you're good to me. You've been asking me that more lately. What's up with that?" Anna questioned, brows knitted and distraught by Elsa's inability to understand that she was just plain mad about the woman in every way possible. She'd never questioned why Anna loved her before and deduced that this newly emerging doubt could only be coming from one place.

"It's because I know about your dad now isn't it? And you've been thinking about it more and it makes you question...love I guess. Am I right?" Her head quirked to the side and Elsa heaved a drawn out sigh of confirmation.

"You're very perceptive. Sometimes I think you're a psychologist and not a teacher." Old habits die hard and Elsa placed the bed tray between her and Anna, creating a barrier while continuing to indulge on the triangular treats in what Anna saw as a feeble attempt to avoid the subject, but she persisted anyhow.

"You think if he doesn't love you, how can anyone? Or if I love you why doesn't he? I know you and I can tell you've been thinking about these things." Spoke as if it were more a matter-of-fact than a question.

Elsa blinked and set her fork down. "This breakfast is so lovely, I don't want to spoil it by talking about him."

"But I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about you. That thing you said, how looking in the mirror can be painful even though the reflection is beautiful. Know that I look at you more than anyone else in this world and I only ever see the source of my every happiness. Sometimes I get excited that she'll look like you because then I'd get to see twice as much of you. I love you that much and there's no question as to why. Don't let his perverted idea of parenting come between what you and I have built and nearly perfected over time."

By now Elsa had set the tray aside again and felt an unsettling feeling of guilt begin to take over when she saw the hurt behind Anna's eyes.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I just...I'm still confused about everything I guess but that doesn't and shouldn't have anything to do with my faith in your love." Anna smiled at the apology but the turmoil quickly returned to her features.

"I'm not him I'm me. I would never hurt you like that and I know that you know why I love you after all this time. And it only grows more and more each day. Every time I think I couldn't possibly love you more I'm proven wrong. Like when you told me you loved me for the first time, that moment was trumped when you asked me to marry you. And when we said I do and I lifted that veil away from your face to kiss you for the first time as my wife, I never thought it would get better than that but it does. Every day it does so don't ever doubt it."

Elsa entangled her hands into the sides of Anna's hair and captured her lips between her own. "I won't. I'm sorry." She kissed her again but it broke when Elsa giggled at the baby's vigorous movements and held Anna's hand over the area to witness the fervent thumping of what felt like an elbow.

"I think that means she wants seconds," Elsa giggled as Anna brought her head down to talk to the baby.

"Baby, do you like mommy's cooking? Do you want more? You know I'd give you anything. I'm never going to be able to say no to you." Anna leaned in gave the baby a kiss, now separated by just the thin layer of uterus and skin she could feel her baby girl pressing her elbow against her lips. "This is amazing. I love you baby."

* * *

Finishing up her nighttime routine, Anna looked on as Elsa thoughtfully licked her index finger and turned the pages of her book in bed. Watching her beautiful wife when she didn't know it was such a treat sometimes. The way her eyelashes slightly fluttered as she scanned the pages. Or how her eyes would narrow and she'd tuck her perfectly pink bottom lip between her teeth as she read something of great interest.

Anna tossed her cotton swab into the trash and skipped over to Elsa's side of the bed. She sat down and her smile stretched wider when she got a pleasant view of one of Elsa's new bras. It amazed Anna how when they went bra shopping Elsa was able to find the sexiest nursing bras she'd ever seen in her life. Actually they were sexy for any kind bra, not just nursing. The only thing Anna had been able to find at the store were the boring standard nude and white cotton nursing bras. The one that Elsa was currently wearing was a beautiful dusted shade of blush and appeared to be a velvety smooth nylon material instead of cotton. The solid colored shells were surrounded by a wide layer of lace that even stretched over the gorgeous dip in between her breasts where the center point was a silky cream bow.

"Whatcha reading?" Anna licked her lips and made no attempt whatsoever to hide how aroused she was.

" _Beyond the Sling_ by Myim Bialik. You know the one who played Blossom on _Blossom_. It's actually really interesting and I had no idea she had a doctorate in neuroscience." Elsa was still scanning over the pages with a great deal of interest, completely oblivious to her salivating wife's advances.

"You feel like putting your bookmark in?" When Elsa finally looked up at Anna she was met with dark eyes and a sultry grin. This _was_ after all what the trip was supposed to be about, lovemaking not reading. Not bothering with a bookmark, Elsa clapped the book shut and tossed it onto the nightstand. She could tell Anna was already revved up and it didn't take long before her heart started to beat a little faster and her breath became shallower at the sight of Anna's desire.

Anna didn't waste another minute and straddled herself over Elsa, at first keeping her distance but was pulled in when the blonde grabbed her rear and brought their bodies closer together.

It was tempting to just crush their lips together in a mad hurry but Anna wanted to draw things out and savor every moment of the build- up. She leaned in and gave Elsa the lightest of kisses, the blonde's bottom lip catching nothing but air when Anna pulled away and smiled playfully.

 _Playing hard to get_ , Elsa thought to herself. Anna must have forgotten that Elsa _always_ got what she wanted and right now she wanted her feisty redheaded wife out of her shirt. She found the hem of Anna's shirt hiding between their bodies and pulled it off, letting her eyes rove over and visually claim every inch of her wife's sculpted body. Her breasts were looking quiet pert all pushed up together in a bra that was so sheer Elsa could already see Anna's nipples hardening beneath the fabric.

In order to bring herself close enough to Elsa, Anna had to sit up on her knees a little to accommodate her baby bump, but once she maneuvered herself she brought a hand to softly rest against Elsa cheek. Her breath hitched at first but then Elsa's breathing began to pick up in anticipation for what she knew all too well was eventually coming, but Anna had other plans. There was something she wanted even more than giving her wife undying pleasure. A little nervous to ask, she bit her lip and swallowed while waiting for her courage to kick in.

XXXXX

"Elsa. There's something I want to ask you. Something I haven't been able to stop thinking about for a while now. And I completely understand if you don't want to so please, don't feel pressured." Anna's hands swept over each other as she nervously wrung them together.

"What is it?" Elsa's voice was soft and gentle, eyes wide with curiosity.

Hoping to ease her into the mood a little more, Anna gave Elsa a small yet tender kiss, letting their lips slowly part before she swallowed hard and looked deep into her eyes.

"Can I taste you?" glancing down to Elsa's full and voluptuous breasts. Whatever nerves she had about asking quickly flew away. Just saying those words made her ache for Elsa in a whole new way, which was truly thrilling considering how long they'd been together. To have something new, something different was...well exciting.

Ever since Elsa had leaked that one night Anna couldn't get the memory of the taste and feel out of her mind. She'd always loved Elsa's breasts but the lactating had been strangely appealing and even erotic. Okay it was _very_ erotic. It gave this whole new edge to loving her pregnant wife. First her body, her beautiful, curvaceous pregnant body had been a feast for Anna's eyes and hands, and now she could taste it as well.

Elsa hadn't responded yet but didn't appear to be all together against the idea either.

"Please. Please don't be embarrassed. I don't know if I have a fetish for it or what but something happened that night and I can't stop thinking about it. I've never been so turned on by you before and I just want to...taste you again." Anna was getting hot and bothered just talking about, the warmth in her chest competing against the growing warmth between her legs.

"Y-you like it?" Elsa cocked her head to one side, half intrigued and half surprised.

"Oh God, I _love_ it. You have no idea. I'm burning up on the inside just thinking about it. If you only knew how crazy it's been driving me."

"Really?" still intrigued.

"Yes, really. It's way more common than you think. I checked with my group and it was pretty unanimous that lactating is very erotic to the partner. Well there was this one lady that didn't agree but never mind about her. Elsa I promise, I don't care how messy it is or anything like that, actually I kind of hope it's messy. And I know they're sensitive so I'll be gentle, very gentle. I want this so bad...I want you so bad, please," kissing her once again.

"Okay, if it's what you really want. I have to admit it's turning me on just seeing you like this."

Getting to work as soon as she got approval, Anna unclasped Elsa's bra in the back, slipped her arms out of the straps and Elsa rested her hands up above her head, laying herself out beautifully for Anna to do with as she pleased.

"Just...be gentle."

Anna was in the seventh circle of heaven. Before her were Elsa's milky white mounds of womanhood, full and heaving in front of her hungry eyes. She started out slow and cupped her hand around Elsa's right breast, lovingly caressing her thumb around the perfectly rounded nipple. Elsa's chest relaxed at the touch and she even sighed, encouraging Anna to brazen her efforts.

As she leaned forward even more, her heart thumped louder in her chest while she licked her cherry red lips before gently wrapping them around Elsa's rosy nipple, taking the areola around it into her mouth was well. Anna began to kiss and love it, gently swirling her tongue around the stiffening peak to coax out the creamy liquid, sending Elsa's hands to bury and tangle themselves in Anna's hair.

Her mouth was impatient as it waited for that sweet goodness to tickle her taste buds once more. After another minute she was growing even more impatient so she sucked harder, eliciting a gasp and breathy moans from Elsa's parted lips.

Elsa started out a bit shy but as Anna worshiped her body and took her into her warm moist mouth, her inhibitions melted away and she could feel a small tingling sensation where Anna's tongue was working, her body releasing its delectable flow for her wife to enjoy.

It was the most amazing feeling in world. The minute the flavor swept over Anna's palate she sucked harder, claiming every last drop and moaning against the sodden skin. Elsa's hand tighten at the back of Anna's hair and she pulled her closer, pushing more fleshy goodness into Anna's mouth as she humbly accepted it.

"Mmm...God Elsa, you taste so good," quickly chasing after a streak of milk rolling down the curve of Elsa's breast with her tongue, lapping up every last bit in delight.

The idea that this whole thing was even remotely arousing was at first hard for Elsa to believe. But as her wife kneeled at the altar and glorified her body, eagerly devouring its purest form of nourishment, Elsa also began to feel extremely aroused, very aroused. Her moans and whimpers were already mixing with Anna's in an erotic duet but she craved more.

"Anna...I need you...more of you, please," she panted, moving one of Anna's hands away from her supple breast down to her aching center, whimpering at the slightest brush of her fingers against the cloth barrier.

"This?" Anna muffled with a full mouth as she stroked along the line of Elsa's most intimate of parts.

"Yes... _please_. This is working me up way too much without something more," Elsa pleaded, puffing out her chest at the absence of Anna's lips against her skin when she pulled away.

It was agony to tear herself away but knowing it would be just for a minute Anna removed Elsa's underwear and repositioned herself on Elsa's other side to free up her right hand while quickly moving to the other breast.

When she slid her hands down Elsa's slit and arrived at her entrance she realized Elsa hadn't been joking when she said the nipple play was turning her on. She was wetter than an April shower and Anna had no trouble gliding two of her fingers inside her.

Elsa gasped sharply and let her head fall back against the pillow, mouth open as her sensual aria continued to resound throughout the room. Needing more friction, she canted her hips against Anna's hand, keeping the pace slow but taking Anna deep within her.

"God...Anna...this feels amazing…"

The unbelievable pleasure of Anna suckling on her breast tingled and spread through every axon and dendrite at a lightning fast speed, right down to the very spot Anna was increasing her tempo deep inside of her.

"Yeah...ah...r-right there...don't s-stop…"

With Elsa undulating so much it was hard for Anna to maintain suction but when she released her mouth the best thing happened. As she let her mouth hover above Elsa's nipple, the movement from her rocking hips made her hardened peak brush and slip between Anna's lips, slick from breast milk it tasted and felt divine. Streaks of warm milk continued to roll off the side of Elsa's mountainous breasts and Anna chased down each and every drop.

In the background Anna could hear Elsa breathing and moaning and she was rocking her hips harder, forcing her chest to jiggle and bounce everywhere as Anna giggled to herself and tried to catch the passing nub in her mouth. Things were getting messy in a hurry. Sticky sweetness coated Anna's chin and her cheeks glistened with Elsa's milk, and she couldn't have loved anything more.

"Elsa...you're a goddess. I could do this forever."

And while Anna could have stayed and suckled at her wife's breast all day, Elsa was nearing the most intense orgasm she'd had in a long time. A pin prick of ecstasy was shooting up from her core, piercing her heart and robbing her of her breath as Anna felt her body tensing beside her own. Her eyes slammed shut and the heat radiating from Anna's thrusting was so intense she bared her teeth and scrunched her brows together as she surrendered to a build up so intense she was almost afraid to let it unleash itself upon her.

The look on Elsa's face was simply sublime but Anna needed to help soothe her, help her to give in just a bit more so that she could reach that paradise Anna was ushering her into. She moved up to whisper into Elsa's ear, milk smearing against their bodies as they pressed and slid together.

"Breathe…just let it happen," Anna whispered, caressing Elsa's fire red cheeks as she flicked and twisted her fingers inside of her, making sure to keep her thumb firmly pressed against her clit as she worked it a bit faster.

"Nnah...Annahhh...Anna!" she cried desperately, wondering if the enormous building would ever materialize into something more.

With one last loop around her swollen pearl, Elsa grabbed ahold of Anna's shoulders, digging her nails into her tender flesh as she braced for the giant wave of pleasure to crest and wash over her. It hit with a force so great that she actually squeaked when her body jerked in surprise. It was unreal and she breathed heavily as she rode wave after glorious wave of undying euphoria.

"I love you... I love you..." Anna repeated into Elsa's ear, relishing the force at which Elsa's body was spasming around her as she started to slow her pace.

When Elsa finally unscrewed her eyes she had forgotten that they weren't at home and was a little disoriented.

"Was that...okay?" Anna asked hesitantly as Elsa's eyes continued to readjust and focus on her.

"That was...incredible. You are more than welcome to do that again anytime." Anna giggled as she curled up against Elsa's chest and pressed her face against her new favorite toys.

XXXXX

* * *

The following morning Anna sat Elsa on the sofa to go over the plans for the rest of the babymoon.

"So I was thinking about this and I've made a baby bucket list if you will. Things I'd like to do on this trip that we can't or won't be able to do without getting a sitter. And please, feel free to add to the list at any time."

Joining Elsa on the sofa Anna pulled out her phone and brought up her baby bucket list and read it off in her usual animated fashion with hand gestures so spirited Elsa worried the phone was going to fly right of her hand.

"First on the list is a movie. You can't bring a baby to the movies and I want to go see something since all the summer movies are still out and it won't cost us extra to get a sitter." Elsa nodded in agreement and threw in her own addition to the list.

"I want to get a couples' massage at the resort," Elsa chirped with confidence and a big bright smile.

"Nice one Elsa. I like that. Couples' massage." Anna's thumbs went to work and she added Elsa's request, biting her lip as she focused to hit all the right letters and avoid a battle with auto correct.

Sensing Anna's excitement levels were growing larger by the minute, Elsa decided to solidify the day's plans before anything else got added and she got talked into doing more than she had energy for.

"So let's do that today. Couples' massage and movies. Don't plan anything more than that or I might not be able to live up to it. I don't have the energy remember?" Elsa ducked her head in an attempt to break Anna's trancelike state as she typed on her phone, prompting the redhead to toss the gadget aside as soon as she finished her sentence.

"Sounds good. Oh, and there was one more thing," she murmured coyly, straddling herself over Elsa with a mischievous grin before biting her pouty bottom lip.

"I'm a little nervous to say this. It's more of a request that I have..for you."

Elsa hands ran up and down Anna's back, skimming over her shirt and tucking under the front for a quick feel of her perky breasts. She just couldn't help herself sometimes.

"What's that?" A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth and she lightly coaxed Anna's bottom lip out from between her teeth with a light kiss.

"It had something to do with that or...uh...this." She was so nervous she was trying not to stutter.

"Just tell me. I already let you _taste_ me so it must be something else," letting her lips trail down to the hollow of Anna's throat, hoping some tender kisses might help her relax a bit more.

"At some point before we leave...I want to make love to you...but I want you to swear and...be naughty." Anna's lip tucked back in between her teeth as Elsa's lips ceased their progress and she pulled away to look at Anna befuddled.

"Think about it. That is definitely something you cannot do with a baby around and you hardly ever swear. I know you have a naughty girl streak in you, I just want her to come out and play a little, that's all," flashing her best persuasive smile.

Elsa's eyes shifted back and forth before blinking in confusion. "Now?"

"No not now just at some point."

"O-okay. You know it's not really my thing but I'll get in touch with my inner naughtiness just for you." Part of being married to a sexually adventurous person like Anna meant having to indulge in their fantasies every once in a while and they were no exception. It's not that Elsa didn't have kinks and sexual preferences of her own it's just that Anna was more vocal about hers. It kept things interesting at least.

"Oh yes, great! You're such a good sport." Anna gave her a quick peck on the lips before running off to find the number of the spa and track down a local movie theater while Elsa sat motionless on sofa mulling over Anna's request in her mind.

* * *

The rest of the day went surprisingly smooth and they felt like they'd been swept back in time to when they were dating and hopelessly in throes of new love.

Since it was Anna's idea to go the movies Elsa let her pick what they saw, which ended up being a high octane action flick that they had to leave because the sound was causing the baby to toss and turn so much that Elsa felt like she was going to be sick. Switching to a romantic comedy the two were able to grab a seat in the back and make out a little like they used to do in the old days. Lips pressed greedily against each other, trying to be as quiet as they could as Anna tasted the lingering cool mint from Elsa's Junior Mints on her tongue.

After the movie it was back to the resort for the private couples massage Elsa had been looking forward to until Anna got caught up talking nonstop about the baby to the masseuse who also happened to be a mom. Quiet and Anna weren't usually two things that went together anyhow so Elsa smiled as she listened to the two chatter on about first steps and tips for easing teething and diaper rash.

A relaxing lunch at the resort was followed by some down time back at the villa and Anna continued to shower Elsa with romantic gestures. First she brought Elsa outside to lie out on a patio chair overlooking the ocean while Anna painted the toenails that the poor woman couldn't even reach herself anymore. It was already difficult enough for Elsa to just shave her legs, having to resort to Cirque Du Soleil worthy techniques in order to get the job done.

Next Anna decided to stay in and take the night off from fancy resort food and ordered a pizza in the shape of heart. She had debated to have A+E spelt out in pepperoni but thought the heart shape was boarding on corny already and decided against it.

For dessert they made s'mores around the fire pit outside and Anna reveled in the sound of Elsa's intoxicating laughter every time the redhead turned her marshmallow into a flaming olympic worthy torch, frantically try to blow it out before it set her hair on fire.

Cuddled on a comfortable orange patio sofa they took turns feeding each other the beautifully toasted marshmallows Elsa had made, making sure to thoroughly lick and suck the sticky concoction off each and every one of each other's fingers. Anna found that she more enjoyed feeding Elsa as there was something highly pleasing about treating a pregnant woman to sugary sweet treats.

The moon was huge, busting almost as it pulled the evening tide to shore and Elsa let her head rest back to gaze up at the blanket of stars in the night sky.

"I don't ever want to leave," Elsa murmured wistfully as she watched the stars twinkle against the navy blue sky. "I want to stay here with you forever."

"I know. This day has been so great. It's nice to have nothing but time to just love each other like this." Anna kissed Elsa's pillowy soft head, holding her in the corner of the sofa as the blonde drifted off to sleep.

* * *

After an hour of appeasing Anna's need to build more sandcastles the next day, the two were back in the villa lounging around trying to figure out what they wanted to do with themselves until dinner.

Anna was standing in front of the vanity mirror with her hip cocked out to one side as she admired the new tan she'd acquired after yesterday's romp on the beach. As she twirled and examined herself in the mirror, lifting her bikini straps to compare the shades of her tan lines, Elsa again found herself staring. Her body may have been dragging her down with aches and pains but her hormones were still in full swing and all it took was one look at Anna admiring the way her rear looked in her swim bottoms to get her blood pumping and reconsider Anna's previous request about being naughty.

The last time she had talked dirty and played naughty with Anna had been after a Halloween party at one of Anna's random friend's and that was a while ago. And that evening she'd had the help of liquid courage to ravish Anna against their bedroom wall as she cursed the night away. She swallowed hard, knowing there would be no liquid courage this evening. She was on her own and would have to do a bit of role playing to appease her darling wife. Though the more she looked at Anna the easier it became to slip into her naughty persona.

Elsa sat on the edge of the bed, clad in her old two piece string bikini as she bit her lip and watched Anna fluff her hair and reapply lip gloss onto those plump ruby lips of hers.

"Anna," Elsa called from the bedroom, her voice a bit shakier than she'd hoped. Anna pranced into the bedroom to find Elsa perched with her hands on either side of herself and her legs spread wide open with toes pointed against the floor, a curtain of blonde hair covering a mischievous grin that was creeping up her face.

"What's up?" Anna asked in a perky tone. Elsa couldn't help but notice the way Anna's head bobbing and hand gestures were making her boobs bounce in her bikini top.

"I wanna have some play time." Elsa let out a breathy laugh as she tilted her head back, hair flowing straight down her back like the temptress she was and Anna felt a chill flicker up her spine. She could spot Elsa's flirting from a mile away and from the looks of it she was using some of her best moves.

"Oh _do you_ now?" Anna stalked her prey like a lion on the Serengeti, eying her prize as it frolicked before her. The corners of Elsa's lips moved from a smile and parted to make room for Anna's incoming kiss as she kneeled between her legs and moaned into her mouth. The redhead set her hands next to Elsa's, hoping this show of dominance meant another checked off item on her babymoon list, and pulled Elsa's bottom lip back between her teeth as she gasped in delight.

"Do you want to play naughty or nice?" Anna asked in low and lecherous voice, eyes wide and hungry for whatever Elsa was offering.

Elsa took Anna's hand and slowly moved it down beneath her bikini bottoms and cupped it against her wet mound. "You tell me," she replied innocently, heaving a desperate breath into Anna's ear as the redhead felt her wife's arousal pooling onto her middle finger.

"I guess that means you want to play naughty," Anna rasped with a fierce grin, spreading the moisture over Elsa's folds.

" _Very_." Elsa's voice was low and clear. Anna squealed on the inside and a switch inside her flipped as she entered role play mode. Poor sweet innocent Elsa didn't know what was coming to her.

Anna reached her free hand back behind Elsa to pull the string to her bikini top, letting it untie and fall onto the bed. She was going to build Elsa up until her head exploded and she blurted every four letter word she knew, knowing she'd probably keep it simple and just stick to the classic _fuck_. That was as daring as Elsa got.

"You're soaking wet. Did this happen from just watching me? From _leering_ at me?" Anna began to lightly run her fingers up and down Elsa's slit, warming her up for what she'd have to beg to get.

"You know only you can make me this wet. Mmmm...Anna, I want you."

"Want me to what?" Anna's pulse raced as she pitched Elsa the perfect line.

A hand ran through her platinum gold locks and Anna shuttered as Elsa arched up to whisper in her sexiest voice against Anna's lips. "I want you to fuck me."

Anna nearly erupted at Elsa's vulgar language. It was everything she'd hoped for and more, so harsh and annunciated yet utterly arousing. She was always so prim and proper and that one word lit a fire under Anna. A smile curled up from the corners of Anna's mouth and she glanced down to see Elsa looking up through her lashes at her with the most wanton eyes. If Anna didn't know better she could have sworn Elsa wasn't doing much acting. She looked pretty serious and Anna was deliriously ecstatic.

Primed and ready, Anna leaned Elsa back on the bed and hovered above her on all fours. She placed two fingers against her wife swollen clit and began to circle clockwise to a steady rhythm as Elsa breathed and moaned in time, finding the naughty side of herself rather titillating. So what if she acted crudely? She wasn't at work or even at home for that matter. If Anna wanted her to let loose for one afternoon then she was going to indulge her like there was no tomorrow.

"You like this?" Anna asked teasingly, letting her lips brush against Elsa's ear as she spoke, licking her tongue around the shell.

"Mmmm...yeah. But I want more," Elsa demanded.

"Like how?"

"I want you inside me." Elsa moved Anna's hand lower until her fingers we flirting with the sodden folds her entrance, sliding two fingers into her warm core but keeping her pace slow, forcing Elsa to be directive.

" _Deeper_."

Anna obeyed and sunk her fingers deep inside as Elsa shuddered.

" _Harder_ ," she whispered.

"What was that?" Now Anna was just being cruel, so Elsa stepped up her game.

"Harder baby. Fuck me harder. Make me scream your name." The look on Anna's face made Elsa grin at her slight victory. She'd thrown Anna so much that her hand stop momentarily before plunging back inside, harder and deeper just like she'd been instructed to but still slow just to drive the blonde crazy.

"How's that?" Anna was going at such an agonizingly slow pace that Elsa found herself gritting her teeth in frustration and at the same time getting wetter from the torment.

Suddenly a crack echoed off the walls as Elsa smacked Anna's ass, leaving a hot red hand print on her exposed cheek.

"That's for not listening. _Faster_...and I want you to mark me...any way you'd like to."

Giddy with excitement Anna scanned up and down Elsa's flawless porcelain skin, debating which spot of perfection she was going to claim as her own.

Her eyes came upon Elsa's pale neck and she kissed along the pulsing blue vein coursing below the translucent skin before sinking her teeth into the tender flesh. Elsa jumped and winced at the slight sting of pain that only heightened her pleasure, suddenly understanding why Anna had requested this exact thing so many times in the past. Anna continued to press her teeth further into her wife's supple neck, humming against it in pleasure when she could feel the air from Elsa's gasp passing through her throat.

Finally she released and saw the red dashed lines of her teeth marks against the pale backdrop, licking her lips in satisfaction as Elsa writhed below her with a smirk on her face.

"Do it again." The sensation of pleasure and pain left Elsa wanting more. She'd long abandoned her normally vanilla approach to sex and embraced the deep dark chocolate side Anna was showing her.

Anna kissed the still healing spot she'd just impressed her mark upon and slithered her body down where her fingers were curling within her wife. She nestled herself between Elsa's creamy thighs and eyed the upper inside of the left one, licking and kissing it before quickly nipping at it with enough pressure to leave two more crescent indention as Elsa gasped and rocked harder into Anna's hand.

Inspirations struck Elsa and she followed her body's lead, pulling away from Anna and flipping her on her back.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked, perplexed as to why their fun had suddenly stopped.

Elsa placed a few pillows behind Anna so that she was lying at an angle and straddled over Anna's face, leaning back ever so slightly so that they could see each other.

"I want your mouth," she breathed, lowering herself to Anna's awaiting lips. The biting had already brought Elsa close to the brink of her climax and the way Anna's tongue was slipping into the pocket just under her hood she knew she wasn't going to last much longer.

Elsa reached back, placing her hands against Anna's hips and arching into her mouth, slowly rocking faster and faster as her fingers splayed into her blonde locks, gripped tightly at the root to add a touch of pain.

Just as Elsa's moans were getting higher and more needy, Anna slipped her fingers back in and brought the blonde closer to that soul-shattering intensity.

"Ah...Annaaahh...fuck me...fuck me." Elsa gave it her all as a dizzying explosion gripped her body, crying out Anna's name so loud people out enjoying the afternoon surf had to have heard her.

When the aftershocks subsided, Elsa slumped to her side and laid next to Anna.

"Elsa that was...hot! How did I do?" Anna asked.

"I give you and 'A' Mrs. Arendelle," Elsa replied, exhausted yet completely unabashed.

* * *

No matter how much they enjoyed spending time together as a couple they both needed a little alone time as they had been together for almost every minute since they started the babymoon. It was Elsa herself who politely asked Anna if it would be okay to take a walk on the beach alone and she was more than happy to enjoy a little time to herself as well.

Elsa watched the water rise and fall against the shoreline, admiring the sparkly turquoise polish Anna had applied to her toenails the other night. The water was surprisingly cold for it being summer but it felt simply divine as it washed over her aching feet.

The weekend had passed and the beach was less crowded now that most people had checked out of the surrounding villas. In fact Elsa didn't see anyone else on their stretch of beach so she took the opportunity to talk to the baby, caressing the arc where the baby's back was resting inside her womb.

"Kan du kjenne solen min søte engel?"

(Can you feel the sun my sweet angel)

She glanced up at the bright sun blaring in the sky, knowing the baby was probably able to notice a difference in lighting inside her little home.

"Det er en vakker dag."

(It's a beautiful day.)

"Jeg elsker deg baby. Jeg kan ikke vente å se deg."

(I love you baby. I can't wait to see you.)

Using her mommy voice, the baby must have known Elsa was talking directly to her and the baby wiggled and rolled at the sound of her melodic voice.

"Mommy er så glade for at du skal mom me."

(Mommy is so excited for you to come.)

"Hi. You Elsa?" a little voice asked. Elsa turned around to find a pint sized Emily staring at her with big green eyes and bright orange pool floaties around each arm.

Kneeling down to the little girl's level, Elsa flashed a warm smile and lifted her sunglasses to rest on top of her head. "I am. And you must be Emily."

"What's in there?" she asked, tilting her head as she pointed to Elsa's swell.

"A baby," Elsa replied in the sweetest voice. No wonder Anna had spent an hour playing with this kid. She was adorable. Elsa didn't have a ton of experience with children but she found it effortless to talk to Emily.

"Ohhhhh, I remember. That's Anna's baby."

"Yeah," she said with a giggle. It was _their_ baby but it was precious how Emily thought of it as Anna's baby. Elsa kind of liked looking at it that way.

"Wooow. You're so pretty. Are you a princess?" Emily's eyes were the size of saucers as they drifted from Elsa's bump to her dazzling blue eyes and finely chiseled features.

"No. But I'm an architect."

"Whas that?" Emily asked, nose wrinkling as she talked out of the side of her tiny mouth.

"I build really tall buildings. Some that almost touch the sky." Elsa raised her hand from the ground up to sky, causing Emily to gasp as she tried to imagine such a thing.

"I'm not a princess either but my daddy calls me one."

Elsa's smile faltered a bit but she forced it to hold it place. Oh how that felt like a knife in her heart. Emily was so sweet and innocent, there was no way she would have ever mean to make Elsa feel bad and she couldn't let her know. With a hearty swallow Elsa smiled wider, looking even more like a princess to Emily.

"He must love you very much," her voice strained, sounding weak and scratchy.

"Yeah. He's over there." Emily pointed her chubby little finger to a man in his early 30s waving for her to join him down by the water line.

"I gotta go. Bye Elsa." And with that Emily hurried towards her dad.

"Bye," Elsa muttered, practically to herself. A frown touched the corners of her lips as she watched Emily run down the beach and jump into to dad's outstretched arms. He spun her around and flipped her upside down and blew raspberries on her belly as she giggled and screamed with joy. Elsa couldn't tear her eyes away from them. They were so adorable but the more she watched the more her heart ached knowing she'd never experienced anything remotely close to that with her father. She would never know what it felt like to run into her father's arms just like Emily would never know the feeling of having her father tell her she was _nothing_.

It wasn't until she watched the two of them that Elsa could see her own innocence reflected in Emily. She'd only been a year older than her when her father brought in an army of tutors and instantly put an end to her childhood as she knew it. The sadness she had felt suddenly flourished into anger. Anger at her father, anger at the world, she was just angry at everything and it was a feeling she didn't let rise to the surface very often.

Inside the kitchen Anna was cutting up some apples and making a snack for her and Elsa when she heard the sliding glass door open and slam loud enough that she almost cut herself with the knife when she jumped in surprise. The villa wasn't as big as their home and there weren't many places for Elsa to escape to and blow off some steam so instead she just paced around the front room with a scowl on her face.

"Elsa, what in the world happened out there? The last time I looked out there you were talking to Emily. Did something happen?" Anna scrambled from the kitchen to the front room, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening.

The pacing was killing her back and feet so Elsa pressed up against the wall between the front room and the kitchen, shaking her head and fighting tears as Anna came to hold her face between her hands. Anna's eye were filled with worry, darting back and forth across Elsa's face as she tried to understand what had prompted this drastic change in her mood. Elsa's perfecting arched eyebrows had pressed together to form a cleft and a red had colored her cheeks.

"It's not fair," she quavered, tears streaming down Elsa's face as more walls came crumbling down. Seven years of holding back a lifetime of feelings was still finding ways to seep through the cracks of her life.

"What did I do?" Her swollen feet couldn't take any more and Elsa sank down to the floor where Anna wrapped her arms around her and rocked her, slowly realizing Elsa was having some sort of breakdown related to her father, again. Damn that man.

The flood of pain was so great Elsa was now gasping in short irregular breaths and sobbing into Anna's shoulder. Tears of a child who never had the chance to shed them herself and tears of a woman struggling to find answers as to why she ever wound up with a father like hers. Elsa was kind and sweet, she'd never intentionally hurt a soul and she just simply didn't understand why her father had lashed out at her the way he did so many times over so many years.

"What did I do? What did I ever do?" she wailed against the crook of Anna's neck.

Anna wanted to fight it. She wanted to fight the thoughts Agdar had drilled into Elsa's mind but she needed to let her vent. Elsa needed to feel this one out uninterrupted and get out all those emotions that had been trapped inside.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Elsa pulled away enough to helplessly look up at Anna as she sniffled.

"Because I'm here for you but you need to let yourself release some of these thoughts and feelings. I'm right here to hold you and listen for right now. That's all you need." Elsa tucked her head back against Anna's chest and cried for several minutes before she finally spoke again.

"I feel like he's deprived me of ever being normal again. I look like I have it together but I don't. I have a fancy job, a big house, perfect clothes and I'm a mess. Look at me. I'm going to be 30 in a few years and I can't even look at a father with his daughter and not get upset." Her voice was mellowing, her breathing was slow and Anna continued to kiss the top of her head as she stroked the back of Elsa's braid.

"I'm a good person but I was given parents who never cared about me. My mom never stood up for me, never saved me. And well...we all know what my father did."

"For starters, you're not a mess. You're pregnant. Some of this is probably hormonal. And look at me when I say this." She placed her hands on the sides of Elsa's face and looked into her bloodshot eyes.

"You were six years old when this started. There is nothing a six year old could ever do to warrant such treatment. He's an adult. You were a child. You did nothing wrong. It has everything to do with him. You didn't want to take over a company and wanted to become an architect, not commit a capital crime right?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't deserve any of that but Elsa, you need to be strong now. You are braver and stronger than you give yourself credit for. Don't let him or the memory of him take that away. You're having your own child and you get to make things right by breaking the cycle. You may not have had the best parents but you now get to be one. You get to give our baby everything you never got. Okay?"

"Okay." Elsa hiccupped another sob and a small smile graced her face.

"This is our last night here so let's make the best of it. I'm going to take us to a restaurant at the resort called Bashi. It's Asian so you can get those spicy noodles you've been craving and...I don't know about you but how can you not have a good time at a place called Bashi? Right?" The goofy expression on Anna's face made Elsa break into laughter.

Dinner of course was nothing short of amazing and Anna spent the entire night cracking jokes and doing her best to make Elsa laugh. When they returned to the villa Anna packed everything up so that they could spend one last evening making sweet passionate love to one another. No requests, no lactating, and no swearing were involved. Just two beautiful people intertwining and becoming one for the last time before their baby arrived.


	30. Chapter 30

35 Weeks

It was lunch time around the Bennet, Banks, and Arendelle offices and Tiana had brought some of her extra spicy jambalaya and hushpuppies for Elsa and her to munch on while they went over the details for the baby shower.

"I brought a container that's less spicy if that's too hot for you but you said hot enough to make your tongue scream so that's what I made," Tiana shrugged, pushing the container across the table as Elsa licked her lips.

"No, the spicier the better. Anna doesn't do spicey and I have been having mad cravings for spicy food. The heartburn is insufferable but it's worth it in the end," she said before blowing on the piping hot Creole concoction and taking a bite.

"Okay so tell me what you two are thinking of for this shower. I'm going to do food and all that and Merida said she'd do the invite list, games, and favors. A lot of people from the firm and Anna's school are coming so we're going to make the best baby shower you've ever seen," she exclaimed with a confident smile.

"I talked about it with Anna and I think we came up with something that we both can agree on. She really likes to sing _You are My Sunshine_ to the baby. It's her favorite song because her mom sang it to her a lot when she was younger. Anyways, she thought of doing a _You are My Sunshine_ theme with pink and yellow for the colors."

"That sounds really cute. Just email the guest list and Merida and I will work together. I promise you'll be blown away."

* * *

Another trip to Dr. Bjorgman's office had gone just swimmingly. The baby was head down, weight and size looked great, and everything else was right on track with just about four weeks to go. The only down side of the appointment was Anna's absence but sometimes she just couldn't make it to every appointment with summer school starting that week.

With a spring in her step Elsa smiled to herself as she pushed the button for the elevator and waited for the car to arrive. Lost in a daydream of her soon to be happy family of three, she barely heard the chime of the elevator when it arrived on her floor.

As she hit the button for the lower level parking garage, the door began to slide closed and when a masculine hand abruptly stopped it, pushing it back, it revealed none other than Dr. Westergard.

 _Oh God, this is the nightmare that will never end_ , Elsa said to herself, smacking her hand flat across her forehead.

"Sorry, I'd catch the next one but these things are incredibly slow," Hans said apologetically as he stepped inside and stood in the opposite corner as Elsa.

The car was silent except for the sound of the beeps as the car passed each floor. Elsa was now regretting having selected a doctor's office that was on the sixteenth floor as it was taking an eternity to reach the parking garage.

"Look, this is awkward enough. Let's just get it out of the way and acknowledge that I _know_ who you are and remember _very well_ what you did to my life," Hans seethed with a stench of resentment.

"I remember very well who you are and what impact our meeting had on _my life_ but please enlighten me on how exactly I impacted _your_ life." Unlike Hans Elsa was able to restrain herself from stooping to his level and remained polite yet guarded, grinding her teeth in order to do so.

"You know very well what you did to my reputation after that night. Everyone knew that _I_ was the one who turned the most beautiful woman on campus into a lesbian, because I guess I was just that bad," he chided.

"I _really_ don't want to discuss this. As you can see I've moved on and I'm married with a baby on the way and don't wish to discuss past encounters with people I have no interest in holding a place for in my life." She refrained from making eye contact even though he was now facing her dead on.

"Moved on and still a lesbian I see," he retorted, giving her an up down glance of distaste.

Ecstatic to hear the chime of the elevator as it reached the parking garage, Elsa couldn't wait to bolt out the door and get away from Hans.

"If you'll excuse me…" she said slightly flustered, stepping out of the elevator as she quickly tried to remember where she parked.

"Elsa you can't run from this. You may have me delivering you baby. Are you going to ignore me the entire time then too?" Standing out front of the elevator, in the middle of the parking garage, she had no choice but to hear him out when he insisted on following her. She didn't reply and simply let him get whatever he needed to off his chest as she crossed her arms and listened with a stony face.

"You _knew_ I had twelve older brothers. Do you have any idea what my life was like after they found out about that night, what they said when they heard the rumors? Just imagine."

"I _never_ said anything to anyone. I simply didn't seek the company of men after that. And it wasn't personal then but it's quickly becoming so now. I apologize the rumors spread and your _reputation_ was tarnished but that's not my fault. And if we do happen to encounter each other in the future I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring the matter up in front of my wife," she spat, turning on her heeling and striding away as fast as she could.

"She doesn't know you were my drunken frat house lay?"

Elsa stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face Hans with a disgusted look emblazoned across her face.

"You're revolting. I'm almost not even half sorry you got labeled the way you did and if anything, you've only again confirmed to me why I don't like men romantically. Not only that but you are an obstetrician and shouldn't be disrespecting me when I'm with child."

She quickly turned back around and headed to her car but not before looking back to address one last tiny detail.

"And yes, my wife does know about us and I'll have you know she's ten times the lay you ever were," she snickered, grinning at Hans' hurt face still etched into her memory as she sauntered to her car in victory.

* * *

The shower was held at Tiana's house and she had been gracious enough to do everything so that all Anna and Elsa had to do was show up. They didn't _have_ to do anything but with the nesting instinct starting to kick in, Elsa spent the previous afternoon making krumkake for the shower. She was the only one who knew how to make them exactly like her Mormor had and she was also the only one who could do it fast enough. Anna probably could have made them but it would have taken two days and she'd have ended up with at least three burnt fingers. And after some persuasion from Anna, Elsa felt that it was important to have a bit of herself and her homeland there to celebrate the baby.

Tiana greeted them upon arrival and immediately took them to the backyard to see the setup. It was beyond anything either of them had expected. There were several small party tables with pink tablecloths, at the center of which was a beautiful arrangement of frothy white hydrangeas and a carafe of water with lemon slices. Off to one side there was beverage area with a long rectangular table covered in a yellow tablecloth that had two glass drink dispensers, one for lemonade and the other for Tiana's special sweet tea.

The food table was filled with finger sandwiches, baby quiches, and all sorts of other mouthwatering treats Tiana had whipped up. She'd even gone so far as to have a beignet table next to the cake. Besides the beignet table, Anna's favorite detail was the banner hung across the food table that read "Baby Arendelle" with each letter set against a cutout of sun.

"Tiana, this beautiful. Thank you so much!" Anna grabbed Tiana and hugged her until she felt like she couldn't breathe anymore.

"I did the food but Merida did the rest. We love you both and you two deserve this after everything you've gone through to get this far." She gave Anna a warm smile and went back to the kitchen to bring out the rest of the hot food while Merida finished going over the shower schedule inside the house.

Elsa strolled across the yard taking in every beautiful detail Tiana and Merida had worked so hard to accomplish, trying desperately to control her hormones and get through the day without crying. She stopped at the cake and was amazed by the job Tia had done. A two tier pink cake with yellow polka dots tied up with a fondant bow on top had Elsa holding onto the edge of the table to remain standing. Fortunately Anna was just behind and encircled her arms around her belly, kissing the nape of her neck.

"That cake is unreal. I'm surprised for Merida and Tiana not really knowing each other all that well how great everything turned out. This banner is killing though. It makes me wish my mom were here." Anna's breath caught in her throat and a half smile half grimace formed on her face. Neither one of them thought they would be so emotionally moved by the shower. People hadn't even started arriving and they were already almost crying after being there for only a matter of minutes.

"She is. I feel it," Elsa reassured, giving Anna a tight hug and they both turned to look out at the yard.

"Can I say something crazy?" Anna asked.

"When do you ever not say something crazy?" Elsa teased, tickling Anna's side as she squirmed a bit.

"No but seriously. I feel like my parents know our baby already. Like wherever they are she must have come from the same place and they know all about her already. I told you it was crazy," rolling her eyes.

Elsa turned Anna towards her and put her hand on either side of her swollen belly, the sun drenching them in its afternoon rays.

"I actually think the same thing sometimes. Early on when I had that bleeding scare, I was asking your parents to watch over her. To keep her safe and I felt this calm. Like they were listening and letting me know that everything was going to be alright. It's not crazy Anna."

Their moment was interrupted by an ecstatic Merida who was already ushering in guests and the backyard quickly began to fill with a mix of coworkers and friends.

* * *

The shower had been everything and more the two of them could have hoped for. The food was amazing, the gifts were great, and Merida had come up with ingenious ways of including Anna to make it feel more like a shower for the both of them and not just Elsa.

At the end of the day they had so many gifts that Anna had to make two trips just to get everything home and into the nursery. The once empty bedroom was now crammed with gifts and boxes of diapers. Tiana had the genius idea to exchange diapers for raffle tickets to win dinner at one of her family's restaurants.

Anna was positively giddy as she eyed their new baby loot. "This is a bigger haul than we got at our wedding."

"A haul? Anna, these are gifts to celebrate the arrival of a baby," Elsa corrected politely.

"Yes but they're still _free_. Just let me have my moment."

It took almost a whole day to open every gift and find a place for it in their home. Elsa let Anna do the opening of the gifts while she took command of the thank you notes, enjoying watching Anna tear into each box like an exuberant child on Christmas morning. With a rather lengthy guest list, they had made out with most of the items on their registry and the nursery was almost complete minus a few small things they still had to get.

Elsa's favorite gift was a bedside bassinet from none other than Jasmine herself. The woman for which Elsa owed almost everything to for encouraging her to go talk to the fiery redhead that fateful night they met.

That night she fell asleep with her eyes clapped on the bassinet, grinning at the thought of her little girl lying just beside her in just a few weeks.

* * *

Back at the office on Monday everyone was still talking about the baby shower and how much fun it had been. Tiana was all aglow as everyone continued to compliment her on her cooking and gushed about what a lovely home she had, proclaiming the shower a sure fire hit.

Elsa was all smiles not only because she was still riding high from the baby shower but she now only had two more weeks to go before she officially went on maternity leave. The members of her team had slowly taken over projects for her and the lighter load removed some of the dreadful weight Elsa had been carrying around trying to manage everything on her own.

Everyone in the office could tell she was radiating with that glorious pregnancy glow. Her smile was bigger, her cheeks were a little pinker, and there was even a noticeable spring in her step; in flats rather as opposed to heels. She was the pinnacle of beauty and grace as she walked from the conference room to her office after just dismissing her team from an early afternoon meeting.

"Elsa, there's an international call for you on line one," Lottie's voice chimed over the speaker of Elsa's desk phone, chipper as always.

Elsa came to stand behind her desk and replied. "Thanks Lottie."

"You'd better take that. It's probably Dubai wanting another four towers." Tiana chuckled as she waved to Elsa and closed the door behind her.

Elsa was in such a good mood that she couldn't help but let a hint of a giggle escape as she answered the phone. "Good afternoon, this Elsa Arendelle," she said through a beaming smile.

"Elsa."

And then there it was. That voice. The voice that brought the weight of ten thousand tons crashing down on her as the smile quickly shattered into a desperate ghostly white look of fright. She tried to breathe but her body was paralyzed and trembling from shock. The voice on the other end repeated her name and she willed her lips to muster a response.

"Father?"

Her heart dropped to the floor and she wilted into her chair like a dying flower with a shuddering breath.

"H-how did you get this number?" her mind a blur, frantically racing to understand how he had been able to track her down and finally find her after all these years.

"Elsa you called here several weeks ago from this very number. You know I'm aware of everything that happens in this house." His voice was weak and it cracked uncontrollably when he spoke but it still had that authoritarian undertone that sent a tremor of fear surging through her body.

"I know you spoke with Kai because I heard him and that's why I'm calling."

 _I'm such a fool!_ She thought to herself. She knew better than to assume her father wouldn't notice an international call from her area code.

Despite her lack of response he continued. "I'm scheduled to fly to San Francisco at the end of September and I know that's a short flight away from where you are. I...I know you're having a baby and I'd very much like to see you."

In an instant her fear and shock melted into contempt. He had kicked her out his life after making the previous fifteen years before that a living hell and _now_ wanted to come see her and her precious baby. A fiercely protective mother was unleashed but underneath was still a little girl who was hurting inside.

"You cannot just...come back into my life like this. Not now, not after everything that's happened. Not after so long." It was almost as if he'd forgotten he'd missed the last quarter of her life. Not to mention Anna, their wedding, and now their baby.

"Elsa, I haven't _had_ a way to contact you in seven years," he said in what she couldn't believe was a regretful tone.

"I'd like to see you and meet your husband at least."

She paused.

"Wife. I'm married to a woman...and I'm having her baby," giving him a moment to absorb what she had said. He didn't know much about who she _really_ was, let alone being a lesbian but unashamed and unabashed, she had nothing to hide.

"You still want to come see me now?" she challenged. A beat of silence passed before he finally answered.

"Yes. I do. Listen, it's not until September and I don't mind chartering a last minute flight if need be. Take some time to think about it." She'd just basically come out to her father and he hadn't even batted an eye. She shook her head in disbelief and almost didn't recognize the man on the other end of the line.

A glimmer of hope shined in the distance as she dared to think he might be able to turn that corner and meet her halfway for the first time. If he really did want to see her then she wanted to know the real reason. Her anger faded and she was once again the forlorn child longing to hear him say something, anything that made her feel like he cared for her, even if only a little.

"Why? Why do even want to see me?" Her voice almost a whisper. He'd let her go so easily but he knew he wanted her back.

"Elsa, when I come I can take you out to dinner and we can discuss everything because I would prefer to do it in person."

But that wasn't good enough for her. She needed more and he owed it to her.

"No. I can't change my mind if you don't give me a good reason to. I _want_ to know why," she pressed, her voice brittle and dry as she tried to maintain her composure but it was nearly impossible.

"Because...you're my daughter," he said softly, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. "And you can't understand this now...but I have _nothing_ left...except you."

Elsa's eyes closed as his words cut right to the core of her being. It was more than she could handle at the moment and she choked back a sob, clearing her throat as she pulled herself together.

"If I change my mind I'll call you. Don't ever call me at this number again," she said firmly.

"Ja selvfølgelig."

(Of course.)

"Ha det."

(Goodbye)

As soon as she hung up the phone she bowed her head against her desk, the tips of her fingers pressing into her temples as she slowly breathed in and out. She could already feel her adrenaline pumping but there was something else happening. The attention of her swirling mind was snatched away from her thoughts when the enormous band of muscles wrapped around the lower part of her uterus began to cramp and squeeze like a vice. It was _much_ worse than a period cramp and so painful that she couldn't move, forced to ride out the crippling pain as she clutched her belly in terror.

After the longest 45 seconds of her life the muscles began to relax and she could finally breathe again. A thousand thoughts flurried through her mind, telling herself that just had to be a really strong Braxton-Hicks contraction. The baby squirmed and pushed hard against her ribs in protest, as if Elsa hadn't endured enough pain.

Miles across town Anna had just dismissed her class for the day, thankful that summer school was only a half day, when she heard her phone vibrating in her purse.

"Anna!" Elsa shrieked so promptly that it caused Anna to shoot up from her desk chair in a panic.

"Elsa what's wrong?"

"You're never going to believe this but my father just called me. At work for God's sake." On the other end Anna could hear Elsa breathing heavily but was slightly relieved that it wasn't something concerning the baby.

"What?! Are you okay?" Sitting back down in her chair.

"No. I mean my head is spinning but...I think I'm having a contraction." Elsa's voice was strangled and meek.

Anna shot back out of her seat and grabbed her purse as she raced out the door. "Get home now! Can you drive?" She gasped as she sprinted to her car at the far end of the parking lot, not giving a damn about anything else other than getting to Elsa and her baby.

"Yeah, I think I can." The cramping was letting up and just as Anna did, Elsa grabbed her purse and keys and left the building in a New York minute.

"Get home now and time them to see if they form a pattern and I'll call Dr. Bjorgman." Anna hung up the phone as they both began the race towards home.

* * *

Anna made it home before Elsa and grabbed her as soon as she walked through the door.

"Are they still happening?" wrapping her arms around Elsa and leaning her against the wall as it appeared she was in the middle of having one at that very moment.

"Yes and they're every five minutes," she managed to say, her face twisted in pain and the cramping began to start back up again.

"Shit! I'm sorry. Shoot," apologizing for her panic induced language. "You need to get in the bath right now. I drew one upstairs and Dr. Bjorgman said to see if that stops the contractions. It'll slow things down unless it's the real deal here. Come on."

She helped Elsa up the stairs, during which Elsa vowed to never design another home with stairs as long as she lived. Which in that moment didn't feel like very long.

Soaking in a lukewarm bath, Elsa lay against the side of the tub with her chin resting on top of her hands and it was dead silent except for the occasional swishing of the water. Anna's eyes were locked onto her wrist watch as she jotted some notes down onto a pad of paper on her lap.

"He wants to come see me," Elsa said lazily, her mind delirious from pain and the onslaught of emotions.

"Shhh. Elsa, right now I don't care _what_ he had to say. I only care about you and our baby and nothing you say about him or your conversation is going to make that better. In fact, I kind of want to kill him for sending my wife into preterm labor."

Glancing up from her watch Anna cringed when she saw Elsa curl back up and started to wince in pain.

"Oh my God is that another one?" Shocked as she looked down at her contraction app on her phone and notice every five minutes had now become ever four and a half.

"Ok just...tell me when it's over." She tried to tell herself that this wasn't happening. That the contractions would stop. And that Elsa's own father most certainly did not just send her into preterm labor.

She tried to focus back on Elsa who was now whimpering in pain. "Breathe...breathe. It's okay."

The giant band of muscles began to relax and Elsa's brows did as well, nodding her head so Anna would know when to stop timing the contraction.

"God, that one was over a minute. I'll be back. I'm going call Dr. Bjorgman."

Anna left the room and went downstairs to make sure that Elsa wouldn't hear any of their conversation. She didn't need any more stress and it didn't look like things were going the way she'd hoped.

Elsa had been in the bath for some time now and the water was starting to get cold. Her fingertips had wrinkled into raisins and she knew this wasn't helping. There was nothing she could do to stop it no matter how hard she begged and pleaded with her body.

A few minutes later Anna returned with her phone in her back pocket and a fluffy white towel thrown over her shoulder.

"Okay let's get you out. Here, take my hands." Elsa grabbed onto Anna's hands as the redhead used all her might to pull Elsa up to standing and help her out of the tub to dry off. Anna was quiet and her face was wrought with worry.

"This isn't good is it?" Elsa already knew this was too soon to be happening but the strained look on Anna's face made her worry even more.

"We're going to meet Dr. Bjorgman at the hospital and see what's going on. Thank God we did the preregistration, right?"

She finished drying Elsa off and helped her get dressed before braiding back her half damp hair and loading her into the car. The hospital was just a short drive away but Elsa had two more debilitating contractions on the way, the last of which was noticeably more painful than any of the previous ones.

Once they got to the hospital it was hard for Anna to think clearly and remember how to even get to the maternity wing. Thankfully everything was well marked and she was able to check in and meet Dr. Bjorgman back in a room he already had waiting for them.

"Oh man, am I glad to see you," relief setting in as she helped Elsa into the room. He was such a sight for sore eyes and Anna was glad that they were at least in the hands of professionals now.

"I can't say the same for you two. I'd rather be seeing you in at least two more weeks but let's see what's going on here. First, help Elsa get changed into a gown and I'll be back in a few minutes okay?"

Stripping off the clothes she just spend precious time getting Elsa into, Anna started to snap out of her own stupor and realize how scared Elsa was. Her face was completely devoid of any color, even her lips were just a pale shade of pink and Anna stopped what she was doing and took Elsa's face into her hands.

"Hey. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. You're 35 weeks which is still really far along. She'll be okay," Anna assured, brushing her thumbs across pale cheeks.

"That's a whole month early. I'm not even full term," Elsa trembled as she leaned against Anna and let her undress her, cobalt eyes veiled with worry and doubt.

"Stop, stop. We don't know if you're even in active labor yet. Let's just take this one step at a time and get into this gown and then get you checked."

Elsa's face pressed into a frown and her bottom lip quivered as Anna helped her pull her shirt over her head.

"Your job is to relax. Just breathe and let everyone else take care of you. Okay?"

She finally got the gown on Elsa and helped her onto the bed. At first she tried to lie on her side but that was so painful she quickly sat up just let her head fall between her bent knees.

In a flash the door opened and Dr. Bjorgman appeared like a knight in shining armor.

"Okay. How long ago was the last contraction?" His voice was calm and smooth, making them both feel more at ease.

Anna looked at her phone to check the contraction log.

"About a minute ago," she replied, brows still knitted together in concern.

"Elsa, sweetie I'm going to need you to lie back so that I can see how dilated you are but I want you to tell me if you feel a contraction coming on."

Elsa only replied with a nod, her chin quivered as she lay back against the slightly angled bed and placed her feet in the stirrups. While Dr. Bjorgman began the pelvic exam Anna brushed aside loose strands of bangs away from Elsa's face and kissed her on the forehead, whispering soothing words of encouragement in her ear as she stroked her cheek.

"Alright. You are two centimeter dilated and 80% effaced, which means you're still in early labor and we can probably stop this thing with a magnesium and steroid injection. The magnesium is for you and should stop the contractions and just in case it doesn't the steroid is to help baby's lungs if she _is_ born early. And we'll keep you overnight to monitor you and if the contractions have stopped by morning you can go home and stay on bedrest for a while. One of you is going to need to make arrangements with Elsa's work. I'll write her a note for disability leave if I need to but she's done. If this baby doesn't come in the next 24 hours I want you at home, in bed, and taking it easy for the next two weeks. I'll see you guys in the morning." he gave them a modest smile, knowing it was now also out of his hands as a nurse came in and administered the two injections.

Terrified and exhausted, Elsa curled up on the uncomfortable hospital bed and closed her eyes; hoping the nightmare would be over when she opened them.

Anna sat on an even more uncomfortable couch that made up into a bed, letting the idea of staying the night sink in when her eyes shifted over to Elsa. The hospital bed may have been tiny but Elsa was even tinier despite being pregnant. Anna looked back at the pathetic couch and wondered why she didn't think about joining Elsa in her bed before. She looked frightened and alone, eyes closed but her face tense and afraid of the unknown.

Taking off her shoes, Anna crept into the narrow bed and over the thin blankets next to Elsa. She smoothed her hands over her back and then brought them to stroke her cheek. It was eerily quiet, the only sound was the beeping of the fetal heart monitor. Every beep gave Anna joy that their baby was just fine but sent fear racing through her body knowing they weren't out of the woods yet.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Anna asked softly, pained by the distress in Elsa's clear blue eyes.

"Tired. Like I've been drugged." Her voice was scratchy and hoarse, like every word felt like steel wool being pulled from her throat.

"Yeah they said you're going to feel pretty zonked. Everything is going to be okay, no matter what happens." Being the strong one had never been more difficult. She was not only telling Elsa that everything would be okay but she was also trying to convince herself. Everything around the room gave her an unsettling feeling that this was really happening.

Her eyes drifted away from Elsa's face and to the IV taped to her hand, mesmerized by the constant dripping of the fluids into the tube.

Around Elsa's wrist was a hospital bracelet and a moment of weakness hit Anna as her eyes dragged over her name and birth date. In the entire time she'd known Elsa she'd never seen her in the hospital and had never seen her in this much fear. And for once it was Anna who felt entirely helpless. There was nothing she could do but comfort Elsa and wait for morning.

There was one other thing she could do, the only she knew to do in these situations and she thought about what her mom would say to keep her spirits high. She thought about how she would tell Anna to be strong, that Elsa and the baby needed her. Her thoughts were interrupted by Elsa's weak and fragile voice.

"Anna?"

Anna opened her eyes and smiled at Elsa.

"Yes my love," she replied softly.

"I'm c-cold." That might have not alarmed anyone else but that wasn't normally something Elsa said.

Anna took a second look at her wife and was startled by her stark white face and lavender tinted lips, pressing a hand to her cheeks and forehead only to find they were ice cold.

"Elsa. You're freezing." She tried not to panic and hoped it was just a side effect of the meds but it was still a struggle to find and press the button to call the nurse.

Not a minute later did a nurse return and Anna explained the situation, to which the nurse assured it was a bad reaction the to the magnesium shot and Elsa would have to ride it out for the rest of the night, claiming there was nothing more they could do. Unsatisfied and in full on protective mode, she demanded that they at least bring her four of those thin little hospital blankets from the warmer.

The nurse returned with four stacked blankets and Anna took them from her, taking control over her wife's care any way she could.

The blankets helped tremendously and Elsa could feel her body starting to relax as the magnesium swamped her brain, feeling like she could sleep for ages without a care in the world. After finishing tucking Elsa in, making sure to fold the ends under her feet to keep them warm, she snuggled back up to Elsa and tried to transfer as much of her heat as she possibly could to her trembling body.

"Better?" Anna whispered, pulling the blankets over Elsa's shoulder.

"Yeah." There was a long pause and Anna let her eyes drift closed. She was so tired and she couldn't imagine how Elsa felt.

All through the night a nurse came in to check Elsa's vitals and Anna found it exceedingly difficult to maintain normal brain function after a certain point. The contractions continued for quite some time and Elsa felt like her body was failing her with each one. But Anna held her hand through it all and continued to comfort her, never leaving her side the entire night as they tried to survive until morning.


	31. Chapter 31

35 Weeks

The bright fluorescent hospital lights glared harshly down on Anna's twitching eyelids as she roused from her sleep. The canorous sound of the same mechanical beeping she had fallen asleep to pierced her eardrums with an unsettling timbre, groaning as she awoke in the cramped quarters of their shared bed.

Morning at the hospital was nowhere near as pleasant as the splendor of their own home but all that changed when Anna's eyes fell on her beautiful sleeping wife beside her. The color had returned to her angelic face and she seemed to be having the most wonderful dream, noting the curl of a smile forming at the corner of her mouth as the rise and fall of her breathing persisted at a languish pace.

Anna had no idea when she had fallen asleep but the constant checks from the nursing staff during the night had left her feeling like a raggedly worn zombie, eyes baggy and puffy with disheveled copper tresses falling into her view. The bed was so small and narrow that the slightest movement made Elsa shift and roll towards Anna, eventually waking her but she didn't seem bothered by the breach of her beauty sleep.

For having just gone through early labor and a night of broken sleep, she looked amazingly refreshed and her eyes settled on Anna with a smile so wide it touched the smattering of pale freckles on the apples of her pinkened cheeks.

"I'm _so_ glad you're smiling. You have no idea." Anna paused and swept her eyes across the room, her head still foggy as she tried to recall the events of last night. "I don't know what happened. I don't even know when I fell asleep. Did the contractions stop?" She howled a yawn and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she squinted at the monitor and tried to read Elsa's vitals from the screen over the blonde's shoulder.

"I don't know. I was so exhausted I think I passed out after a certain point. I have a feeling everything is going to be okay though." She smiled again, wider this time as she let herself drift deeper into the pools of Anna's turquoise eyes.

Anna glanced back at the monitor and studied it thoroughly. Everything appeared to be normal and the line measuring Elsa's contractions had gone from peaks and valleys to a flat line of triumph. At some point during the night they must have stopped and Anna let out a weary sigh of relief, her nerves frayed and brain fried like a well done scrabbled egg during the heat of a breakfast rush.

"So you feel better?" Anna rasped, tucking a long platinum rope of hair behind Elsa's ear.

"I feel okay but I had the most... _profound_ dream about the baby. I can't explain how I know but she's not coming today," Elsa gleamed with confidence.

"How do you know?"

"Because I dreamed about her birth. It was unreal but it was like she was showing me that everything was going to happen later, differently. Something more joyous than this. I don't want to say any more because I want to see if I'm right. I want to see if it's my maternal instinct trying to tell me something." A hand trailing a long IV tube came to rest against Anna's face, brushing her thumb over a cluster of freckles as Anna sighed against her hand.

"Did you see her?"

"Mhmm." Elsa smiled as her legs curled under herself and entangled with Anna's, softly rubbing the sole of her foot over the smooth curve of Anna's calf.

"And…" needing more information on the tiny person Anna had pretty much been waiting not just nine months but her entire life to meet.

"She's beautiful. But that's what I mean when I say I want to wait and see if my dream was right. But if it is...we'll both be really happy. With everything."

A nurse must have overheard them talking because two of them entered the room not more than a minute later. The first one checked Elsa's IV bag that was nearly drained while the other asked Elsa what she'd like to order from the breakfast menu since Dr. Bjorgman had cleared her to eat. For a hospital the choices weren't bad but Elsa went with a bland bowl of oatmeal as the magnesium had left a certain aftertaste in her mouth that made everything else sound utterly unappetizing.

At the stroke of nine Dr. Bjorgman started making his morning rounds and made his way to Elsa's room shortly after breakfast. According to the monitor, Elsa's contractions had stopped somewhere after midnight and she was three centimeters dilated. It appeared that the magnesium had worked its magic and stopped her labor, giving her the green light to return home and start immediate bed rest until the day she reached 37 weeks. The new goal was to get Elsa to full term as 40 weeks was probably not going to happen being that she had already dilated and the baby had dropped into position.

Anna had moved off the bed and was standing with Dr. Bjorgman as he went over Elsa's discharge papers.

"Now she's just a little over five pounds right now and I really want her to gain as much weight as she can just in case she comes early. What that means for you is having a serving of something like ice cream or a milkshake at least every other day. You could actually have ice cream everyday from now on if you want. It's ironic because I think you're one of the few moms I've ever had to tell to start eating ice cream instead of stop," he said with a hearty chuckle, handing the discharge papers to Anna as a nurse began to disconnected the IV and remove the fetal monitors that had been strapped around Elsa's belly. Being freed from all the wiring and medical equipment was so liberating that Elsa was starting to feel like her old self again. Her old _pregnant_ self at least.

A nurse finished up bandaging the blotchy bruised area where the catheter had been in place on the top of Elsa's hand while Anna excused herself and stepped out into the hallway to have a moment alone. With her wife and baby now safe and sound, a night's worth of restless sleep and the emotional letdown of the entire experience hit Anna like a freight train as her body doubled over in exhaustion, crying tears of joy along with tears of fear that she'd been holding back in order to be strong for Elsa. Nurses and doctors zoomed by unaware and undistracted by Anna's sobbing until two bear paw hands rested on her shoulders.

"They gave you quite the scare, huh?" Glancing up from the pair of athletic shoes and light blue scrubs that had just come into view, Anna found Dr. Bjorgman's smiling face staring back at her.

"Excuse my language but...that scared the _shit_ out of me." Another burst of tears rushed out of her like a roaring river when she was pulled to safety by his warm embrace. They had no one but each other and if Elsa was completely reliant on Anna, that meant Anna had no one to turn to and help her through the hard times. But here in the hallways of a busy maternity floor, he didn't care that he was the doctor and she was his patient's wife. She was a woman who had miraculously held her family together for nearly nine months, on her own, and was allowed a moment to just let go of everything and be comforted for once.

They didn't exchange words, he just held her as she cried against his brawny shoulder and let someone else carry the weight of the world for a brief moment.

When Anna went back into the room she found Elsa dressed in the clothes she'd arrived in, hair neatly braided and sitting on the couch ready to leave. Anna could hardly believe Elsa had been a gradient of grays and shivering against her body not that long ago in what felt like the fight of their lives. But here she was, glowing in the morning sunshine pouring through the window with that uncanny look of sass and an air of elegance surrounding her.

"Ready?" Elsa chirped from across the room.

Anna swallowed back any remaining qualms and collected their belongings before they headed home, strangely relieved to be leaving the hospital without a baby in their arms.

* * *

After the dust had settled and Elsa was well into her first week of bed rest, Anna's head began to clear and she looked back at their close call with some lingering concerns.

The first thing that dawned on her was that they could have had a baby that night in the hospital and had no way of bringing her home as they didn't even have a car seat let alone have one installed in each car. The other thing was that they didn't have any of their belongings with them because they hadn't bothered to pack a hospital bag. Their baby would not only have had no way of getting home but no clothes to go home in as well.

Jane had told them to pack a bag and have everything ready to go by 34 weeks, just in case anything happened. Being too naive to think they would fall into that category, Elsa was now 36 weeks and they _still_ weren't ready to go.

Refusing to let another day pass by without being 100% prepared, Anna gave Elsa the list to read off to her from bed as she scurried about the house gathering things into the hospital bag until the last item on the list was a coming home outfit for the baby. Since she couldn't leave the bed to go look into the baby's closet, Elsa let Anna pick something out as long as it was light and simple. With the summer temperatures heating up, the baby probably didn't need to be layered in clothing so Anna packed a few options and set the bag by the front door.

The only thing left was the car seat and Anna enlisted Merida to come over and help her knowing it would take at least two people. Installation and reading instructions was normally Elsa's job but she was upstairs feasting on a pint of Ben and Jerry's in bed while Anna and Merida stood in the driveway like two lost redheads in a land of car seat confusion.

"Let's do my car first and then Elsa's." Boxes and parts were scattered across the driveway while Anna stared and squinted at the tiny black and white print of the instruction manual like it was written in Chinese. Primed and ready in the backseat of the Highlander, Merida awaited her instructions.

"Okay. Locate latch anchor between seat cushions," Anna read in a robotic staccato like voice. Merida shoved her hand between the crevasse of the seat cushions and felt around for...actually she had no idea what she was looking for.

"What's a latch anchor?" She asked with her face pressed against the back seat, straining to find something that seemed related to securing a car seat.

"It's like a metal loop you hook the car seat base to."

Merida's slender fingers wrapped around a thick metal loop like what Anna described and a smile grew across her face. "Okay I think I found it now what?"

"Place latch hook over latch anchor and secure it." Anna grunted as she lifted the car seat base into position on the second row seat and handed the hook to Merida. It took her three attempts before she secured that sweet little hook onto the anchor and pumped her fist at her tiny accomplishment.

"Don't get excited. You still have one more," Anna smirked.

The second one was much easier to secure and Merida got it on the first try, sticking her tongue out at Anna as she gloated with pride. "You have to get up earlier than that to stump a DunBroch," she smirked and winked a cool blue eye at Anna.

With the car seat firmly in place, Anna picked up the manual and read the next step. "Now we just have to tighten it until it doesn't move more than an inch to either side."

Anna grabbed the thick gray strap at the back center of the car seat and pulled with all her might until it felt like it wouldn't budge another inch. Checking to make sure the base didn't move, she jiggled it from side to side as it slid sloppily all over the seat.

"It's still all wobbly! This sucks." Anna fretted, walking away to cool off before circling back to the car and coming up with an idea.

"Merida, sit on it and bounce. You have to push it further into the seat to get more slack. You push, I'll pull," she ordered as Merida climbed onto the base and set her hands on each side, ready to do whatever Anna said to get the infernal thing installed.

"Bounce Merida!" Merida lifted herself into the air and dropped down onto the base as Anna pulled the strap and got a little more give.

"Oh, it moved! Do it again but more! Harder!" This time when Merida dropped, her legs lifted off the ground and she threw all her body weight into the base.

"This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever done," Merida muttered under her breath.

"Somehow I doubt that. Okay, I think we did it." Anna gave the base another jiggle and it refused to move just like the manual required.

"Yes! One down, one to go." The two cracked a high five as they moved to Elsa'a perfectly sparkling car and crept into the backseat.

"Ooooh, it smells _good_ in here. What is that?" Merida sucked in a nostril full of the charmingly sweet aroma wafting throughout the car.

"I've never been able to figure it out. Elsa and everything she owns seems to have that smell so I just assume it's her natural essence. Good huh?" Anna breathed in a whiff and sighed with an exhale, laying a seat protector down before moving the second base into place.

"Yeah. It's like a honey suckle and a gardenia got together with some Winterfresh gum," she hummed a pleasurable _mmmm_ as she secured the latch hook to the anchor.

"Yeah it's pretty intoxicating." She couldn't really share her inner monologue with Merida but Anna was thinking about how the smell was even better when she buried her nose into Elsa's hair and kissed just behind her ear. It was the first time since the babymoon she felt sad at the thought of not being able to run upstairs to her wife and express how much she loved her with an afternoon of lovemaking. It had only been three weeks since the babymoon but it might as well had been a life time for Anna.

This time they had the timing down to a science and in half the time they were able to install the base and even practice inserting and releasing the car seat a few times before going inside for a well deserved glass of lemonade.

"I've waited nine months, well longer than that, ever since you told me you two were trying to have a baby to hear about the donor. I keep waiting for you to bring it up so I'm just going to ask. Who is it?" Merida asked bluntly, watching Anna quickly swallow back her sip of lemonade as she let out a breathy laugh.

"I don't know _who_ he is. I mean I don't know his name or anything. We just always called him Mr. Grad School because we knew he was a graduate student at the university. It's all anonymous so I only know what the database told us about him."

"Database?" Merida asked, her fiery orange brows pinching together.

"Yeah the fertility clinic gave us access to this database of possible donors that we were both genetically compatible with. I think we spent a week searching through it trying to find a guy we could both agree on, which was kind of weird, and this guy was really smart and healthy but more importantly blonde. We both wanted someone that had a lot of recessive traits so that more of our traits had a chance of being passed down," Anna explained as Merida nodded along, never realizing the inner working of how lesbians had babies.

"So what does he look like besides blonde?" she asked somewhat hesitantly.

"Blonde hair blue eyes. No freckles but he's a carrier for them. That's all I know," Anna shrugged a shoulder and took another sip from her glass.

"It felt really important at the time to make sure his genes didn't come through as much as possible and now it's funny because...I'm so in love with her that I don't care who she looks like. I just want to hold her so bad. I want to look into her newborn baby blue eyes and have her see me for the first time so that she can match my voice to my face. I mean I'm excited and I'm also praying she stays in there another few weeks at the same time," she said with a smile, talking a bit too fast but Merida knew it was just because she was excited.

The wait was becoming more difficult with each passing day but every day the baby didn't come was a day they celebrated. It was a backwards way of doing things and Anna wished they could fast forward ahead in time to the birth.

"She'll be here soon enough. Right when she's ready and when you least expect it I'll bet. Cheers to your baby staying in there at least another week my sweet lamb." Merida held her lemonade up to Anna's and they shared a smiled as they clinked their half empty glasses in the air.

* * *

The arrival of Wednesday meant that Elsa was now 37 weeks and officially full term, which meant she could now leave the bed and venture to somewhere other than the bathroom. But that was the last thing on her mind. Anna had refused to discuss the conversation with Elsa's father until she was 37 weeks for fear that it would send her back into labor and rightfully so since it had been his initial phone call that brought on the contractions in the first place.

When Anna awoke the first thing she blurted out of her mouth was, "happy 37 weeks day!" To which Elsa pretended to throw confetti in the air and replied with an emphatic "hooray!" Two weeks of woefully boring bed rest had finally come to an end and it was definitely something to celebrate.

Their giggling died down and Anna didn't know why but her giant smile was shrinking back into a pressed line as Elsa's face grew more pensive, into that look she made when she wanted to discuss something serious and Anna knew what was coming next.

"I...I want to talk about that phone call I got. I've been lying in bed for two weeks, alone with my thoughts for most of the time and I need to get them out," Elsa said, pushing herself up so that her back was against the headboard of the bed.

"Well I'm the one to blame for encouraging you to get things out in the open so...what did he say?" Anna asked with a moderate amount of interest. It's not that she didn't want to hear about what in the world had possessed Elsa's father to call but she was more afraid of the triggering effect it seemed to have on her wife and baby.

"In a nutshell...he wants to come visit. He overheard the conversation I had with Kai and he knows that I'm pregnant. He doesn't know when I'm due but he knows." She sighed and splayed her fingers over her nearly bursting belly.

"Umm...I guess that's up to you. I'll support you whatever you want to do."

Elsa appreciated Anna's attempt to remain neutral about the whole thing but knew she had to have a more honest opinion than just that.

"Just for one minute don't say the right wifely thing and tell me how you really feel," Elsa sassed. It was time to stop playing around and get serious about how they were going to handle her father.

"Honestly, I'm torn. The things he's done to you make me want to keep you as far away from him as possible and I feel like he doesn't deserve the satisfaction of seeing you after letting you go. On the other hand, I want you both to try and move forward or to at least have one last chance to...I don't know, see each other." She knew she wanted them to reunite but she didn't trust Agdar much more than she could throw him. Elsa needed to heal but could she trust Agdar not to botch this whole thing and end up hurting her again?

"What do you want?" Anna asked softly, laying her hand over Elsa's.

"I don't know. I really don't know. I asked him why he wanted to come and he said he couldn't explain it but that he had nothing left but me. What does that mean? He must have the house because I called it and Kai still works there so he not destitute. He's definitely not well. He sounded...awful. And the way he made it sound was like it was just him coming and not my mother, which had me worried when he said he had _nothing_ left and didn't mention her at all."

"That's chilling." If Anna had learned anything about the Arendelles it was that they talked in code and information tended to come in vague riddles that she could never figure out. Even Elsa did the same thing at times. "When does he want to come?" Circling back to point.

"September."

"So you can think about it. I mean more than you have been but I'd prefer you table the issue until the baby comes," Anna pressed somewhat sternly and Elsa couldn't hold it against her. She was just looking out for the baby.

"I think I want to tell him to come but I want to meet with him first before I agree to anything beyond that. I'm still wrestling with myself but as long as you're okay with whatever I chose, that's most important to me." She held Anna's hand and gave it a squeeze as they shared a loving smile.

"Elsa, if you don't want him to come, I will stand by your decision. If you want him to come and even have him see the baby, then I will be the best hostess and show him what a fantastic daughter-in-law I am. Either way I support you," Anna reaffirmed with a nod.

Even with Anna's blessing to do as she pleased Elsa still found herself conflicted. Coming to a decision wasn't going to be that simple.

"It's just...I don't trust him. Part of me hopes that he's changed and this could be healing and the other part of me knows better. And I can't ever forgive let alone forget what he's done to me," shaking her head as she spoke, trying to block out the involuntary flashbacks that played through her mind at the mere mention of his past actions. Closing her eyes, Elsa tried to shake his voice from her head when Anna caught her in the midst of her mental warfare.

"We've talked about this enough," Anna said more as a warning than an observation.

Her hand came to rest on either side of Elsa's belly and she looked deep into those sapphire eyes. "Right now, I need you to take care of our baby. Just keep her in there a little longer. You know from this point on they won't stop labor. We're on our own now and talking about him isn't going to help her." She pressed her face against the swell and closed her eyes and pleaded one last time. "Just keep our baby safe."

* * *

Curled up in front of the TV the two stared jaw dropped at a birthing video Jane had sent them to better prepare for the birth. After watching a woman endure a twenty-two hour labor, Anna found herself appreciating Elsa in a whole new way after seeing what she'd have to go through in order to bring their baby into the world. Elsa on the other hand felt like she may have been better off having not watched it all now that she knew what pushing something the size of a watermelon would look like coming out of her body. She shook the thought off and settled deeper into Anna's arms, feeling so safe and secure in her embrace.

"I don't know why I feel like I need to ask but can I kiss you?" Anna asked timidly, her hand playing with the dip near Elsa's throat.

"You don't need to ask," Elsa reminded, turning her body to face Anna properly. "You own these lips remember," her lips finding Anna's as they tenderly melted together. Sex may have been out of the question but Elsa would probably die if a day went by where she couldn't kiss Anna's pouty pink lips.

"It's just I can't help but feel like you're some fragile egg and I don't want to do anything wrong. What if a kiss was so arousing you went into labor again?" Elsa laughed a little at Anna's trepidation.

"It won't. More please." Anna indulged her adorable wife and spent a good few minutes letting their lips gently slide over one another in a beautiful exchange of unspoken love.

Breaking a rather deep kiss at the worry she might not be able to stop herself, Anna pulled back and brought up something that had been on her mind for the past two weeks.

"You know after everything that happened the other week, I really want to decide on a name. I want to see her for the first time and know who she is, name and everything, and I'm not ending the conversation until we do. It's hard to explain but…" Anna lacked the words to express how she felt but Elsa understood all the same. Anna had been calling their child _baby_ for almost the whole pregnancy and she was probably ready to start calling her by a real name.

"How about we write down our top five and see if we have any in common. I think I've narrowed it down to two and I'm also ready to give her a name. Besides baby Arendelle," Elsa suggested.

Anna retrieved a few pieces of paper and two pens and they jotted down their name choices.

"I'll read mine first. Emma, Sofia, Amelia, Lillian, and Keira. I threw that K one in there for you," Anna smirked with a wink.

Elsa automatically smiled back but then tilted her head in confusion. "Those are great but I thought you wanted Lillian as a middle name."

"I really like the Elana and Elena thing better for that. And I thought about it and...I don't know. I changed my mind." Just like Agdar was a painful subject for Elsa, Lillian was also a source of joy but also sorrow for Anna. She and Anna had been so close and no matter how much time went by she could never fully come to grips with her loss. It had always felt like a part of her had died along with her mom until Elsa got pregnant. For Elsa, the baby was a chance for her to be the parent she always wished she'd had and heal from her past. And for Anna, without even being born yet, the baby filled that hole in her heart that had been left by the death of her parents.

"That's okay. Well I had Sofia and Keira on my list too so let's just write down our top name this time." The two flipped to a clean sheet of paper and Elsa looked up to see Anna gleaming as she quickly wrote down the name she wanted.

"Okay. You go first," Elsa said with a suspicious persistence.

"I went first last time," Anna whined.

"Anna just go, please."

"Ugh. Fine." Anna took a quick breath and held it as she turned her paper around. "Lillian," biting her lip to keep herself from getting too excited because they hadn't come to an agreement on anything yet.

Elsa kept her face straight and moved her eyes down from Anna to her paper, tracing the lines of the name she'd written in perfect cursive.

"Go Elsa!" Anna snapped. The suspense was killing her and she didn't understand why Elsa was stalling.

Elsa chose not to read it out loud and gave Anna the pleasure of doing so herself, flipping the paper around to reveal _Lillian_. The minute Anna read Elsa's paper she cupped her hand around her mouth, overcome with emotion that felt like it would drown her in its glorious bliss.

"That wasn't even on your list," Anna muttered, biting back a sob and laughing with joy.

"Doesn't matter. I had it on my list at one point but left it off when you hesitated on it. I thought it might be too painful but I can see now that it's something you _really_ want. There's no greater honor than naming her after your mom. I know you loved her _so much_ and wish she were here and this is my way of giving you that, the closest I can come anyhow."

With a quivering chin Anna flung her arms around Elsa and cried the most happiest warm tears. "Thank you," she whispered over and over again. "I love you. I love so much."

"I love you too. Look how happy you are. How could we name her anything else?" Anna's reaction brought a tear to her own eyes as they hugged each other tightly.

Anna leaned back and wiped underneath her eyes. "But I want her to go by Lilly. I didn't think of it until you said something and I not only like the sound of it but it gives her a separate identity while still sharing the same name. And it also gives us a really long name to use when she's in trouble," Anna giggled, causing a few more tears to fall from the corners of her eyes.

"Lillian Elana Arendelle?" Elsa said, quirking a brow as she looked up and tried to visualize it. Between Elena and Elana, Elana had the entire sound of Anna's name in it and Elsa liked that.

"Yes! Oh my God, we named a person. I feel so powerful and happy all at the same crazy time." Anna leaned down and placed her head against the lower part of Elsa's belly, right where the baby's head was and spoke softly.

"Lilly Arendelle, I love you."

* * *

A week later Elsa's eyes were darting back and forth under her violet lids as another vivid dream played out in her sleep. Nothing that intense but her mind was suddenly pulled from the unfolding plot when a warm wet feeling began to pool between her legs, forcing her eyes to abruptly shoot open and she suddenly became aware of the wetness soaking the mattress cover. As if the pregnancy hadn't brought on enough embarrassing changes she was now experiencing the most humiliating of them all.

 _Oh my God, I'm peeing the bed!_

A loud long groan escaped between her tightened lips as she rolled her eyes and pulled back the covers to see how bad the damage was. Surrounding her legs was indeed a giant wet spot and she smacked her hand against her forehead in frustration. Not looking forward to cleaning herself and the mess beneath her, Elsa gingerly slid her legs over the side of the bed and felt a sudden gush as she came to standing. She had to bend over to see over her bump but when she did she saw a steady stream trickling onto the carpet and she instantly knew that clear liquid wasn't coming from her bladder.

As fast as her swollen feet would carry her, Elsa hurried to the bathroom with her hand cupped underneath the now low sitting swell to provide some much needed support. The gush turned into a flow with each step she took and she bypassed the toilet completely and hopped inside the shower, sitting down as her head tried to comprehend what was happening. Thoughts were going a hundred miles an hour as she braced herself against the tiled walls, panting shallow gasps of air as she watched what looked like clear running water spin down the drain.

Fear, elation, and a little bit of embarrassment fought to covet the space at the forefront of her mind, not allowing a single thought to get through until the warmth dissipated and the stream flowing to the drain ran dry.

After cleaning herself off and changing her clothes Elsa tiptoed back into the bedroom and looked at the clock on Anna's nightstand. It was 5:45 in the morning and Anna's alarm wasn't set to go off for another 45 minutes but Elsa knew she couldn't wait that long.

The room was still drenched in the soft blues of early dawn as she timidly looked down at Anna with her face drenched in a pool of her drool. Elsa nervously chewed on her bottom lip, wringing her hands as she approached her slumbering wife.

"Anna. Wake up." She nudged Anna's shoulder but was promptly shrugged off with an incoherent grunt.

"Anna. Get up _now_ ," using a louder and more serious voice, similar to the tone she used at work when she needed to get her point across. This time she caught Anna's attention and she sat up and stared bleary eyed over at the clock.

"Oh my God! Did I sleep in? I'm going to be late for work," Anna yelled as she tore off the covers.

Elsa placed her hands on Anna's shoulders and desperately tried to get the disoriented redhead to snap out of her haze.

"No Anna, you're not going to work today. Look at me please and try to focus," waiting until Anna's eyes met her own, garnering her undivided attention.

"Okay I'm awake. I'm not going to work?" She shook her head questioningly, frazzled and wondering if she was possibly still dreaming.

"No," Elsa replied calmly before swallowing and taking a deep breath, keeping Anna waiting on pins and needles.

"My water just broke."


	32. Chapter 32

38 Weeks

"Wait, what?" Anna shouted as her eyes nearly popped out of her pretty little red head, soberingly alert and wide awake like she'd been slapped in the face with a splash of ice cold water.

Elsa knew Anna wouldn't be of any use if she sent her into a panic induced cyclone of discombobulation, so she _calmly_ tried to help Anna wrap her brain around what was happening.

"Anna. My water broke, _just now_. Look," she reiterated at a kindergarten level, cupping Anna's chin and pointing her gaze in the direction of the giant wet spot occupying Elsa's side of the bed. Turning Anna back to face her sky blue orbs Elsa continued. "The baby is coming. _Lilly_ is coming. Okay?" Her soft and honeyed voice finally got the message through and Anna's face lit up with a grin as she jumped off the bed, dancing and twirling around the room in elation; hands flailing with an excitement Elsa had never witnessed before.

"She's coming! She's coming! I'm gonna meet my baby. Sorry. _Our_ baby! I'm gonna be a mommy. We're gonna be mommies!" Anna was more hopped up than a highly caffeinated chipmunk as she whirled about the room and Elsa couldn't help but laugh at her wife's adorable jubilation.

"Well, not yet. I'm not even having any contractions. So far the only thing that's happened is I've managed to make more laundry for you." Elsa chuckled softly and swept her hands over her massive swell, not realizing her time of being able to feel the baby in such a way would soon be coming to a bittersweet end.

"Jane said it could take hours for them to start if your water broke and we shouldn't call the doctor until they do. What a weird thing to know your baby is coming and having to kill time until the contractions start. What do we do?" Anna asked, hunching her freckle dusted shoulders as she scanned the room with raised brows.

"How about we change the sheets. If we are having a baby...what do I mean _if_?" Realizing the moment of birth was imminent now as she shook her head at her faux pas. "I mean _when_ she's born we will probably want to come home to clean sheets," Elsa restated with a breathy laugh.

* * *

While Anna used the time to make last minute preparations for the arriving bundle of joy, Elsa slipped away to the nursery to enjoy the precious time left in her pregnancy. She'd spent most of her bed rest mulling over every word of the conversation she had with her father that she hadn't really devoted any time to savoring the last remaining days of having her child tucked safely away in the comfort of her womb.

The nursery was picture perfect. Everything was in place and ready to welcome its tiny new resident. So many emotions were running through Elsa's mind but in the quiet of her baby's new room she felt an almost sadness at the thought of them being two completely separate people after today. For over nine months Elsa had nurtured a tiny embryo into a healthy full term baby girl. She'd run the gamut when it came to hormonally loaded emotions, even suffered from nightmarish morning sickness, but the pregnancy and this baby had forever changed who she was and she wanted to enjoy one last moment of the gift she'd been given for nine special months. Sitting in the comfort of the plush nursery chair, hands firmly relishing the feeling of her tiny baby just below her fingertips as they smoothed over every last curve, Elsa shared a private moment between her and Lilly.

"Lilly. Jeg er på rommet ditt, og du vet kanskje eller kanskje ikke, men din tid inni der er ... nesten over. Og jeg ville du skulle vite at ... jeg kommer til å savne dette ... så utrolig mye . Å ha deg med meg har fått meg til å føle ting jeg aldri har følt før. Fått meg til å elske som jeg aldri har elsket før. Du har lært meg så mye om meg selv, og jeg er for evig forandret på grunn av deg min kjære. Jeg har vært med deg for hvert eneste øyeblikk av hele ditt liv og holdt deg trygg inni der. Dette er den eneste gangen jeg kan virkelig si at du er min fordi fra denne dag fremover vil du være på vei mot å bli din egen person ... og en dag vil du ikke trenger meg slik som du gjør nå. Jeg elsker deg så mye min søte baby."

 _Lilly. I'm in your room and you may or may not know but your time in there is...almost up. And I wanted you to know that...I'm going to miss this...so much. Having you with me has made me feel things I've never felt before. Made me love like I've never loved before. You've taught me so much about myself and I'm forever changed because of you my love. I've been with you for every moment of your entire life and kept you safe inside there. This is the only time I can truly say you're mine because from this day forth you'll be moving towards becoming your own person...and one day you won't need me like you do now. I love you so much my sweet baby._

As a tear escaped down Elsa's pale face, lamenting or celebrating she wasn't quite sure, and the two of them spent the next few minutes in quiet reflection in the last remaining hours as one.

* * *

The next hour was oddly uneventful. Anna changed the sheets on the bed and even had time to wash, dry, and fold away the old ones into the linen closet. Elsa had made her way downstairs and was determined to stay there. Being the smart woman she was she knew she didn't want to have to walk down those retched stairs again once the contractions were in full swing. Seated behind the couch on a large blue exercise ball Jane had recommended getting, Elsa leaned over the top of the couch mindlessly watching TV as she circled her hips back and forth around the top of the ball waiting for something to happen. Somewhere in the midst of her morning news program the familiar cramping returned and her mouth fell agape, feeling every tightening thread of muscle fiber twinge as tiny sharp pains crept up and across the lower part of her uterus. It wasn't as strong as the ones she'd had during early labor but they were enough to catch her attention.

The contraction only lasted maybe 30 seconds and then died down again. Elsa's eyes spotted the time box in the corner of the TV screen and read the date, time, and temperature; knowing she was now staring at the date of her baby's birthday and she smiled knowing it had finally arrived.

After a few more contractions and a few more rolling hip circles on the exercise ball, things started to get pretty serious. The contractions were no longer light, little cramps and had turned into the massive squeezing kind that made her moan and groan in pain. It was so bad that she had to breathe through it on her own and wait until it passed before she could call out to Anna. When she finally did, Anna ran down the stairs so fast Elsa could have sworn she flew and whipped out her contraction app and punched in some numbers.

"Are they as bad as the ones at the hospital?" Anna assessed calmly, laying a hand on the arch of Elsa's rounded back as she shifted her eyes between her phone screen and her laboring wife.

"They're close. It's pretty bad. Each one is getting worse and they feel long," Elsa managed to squeak out, massaging fervent little circles with her fingertips against her forehead. The elation of going into labor was rapidly replaced by fear of the oncoming pain. This time there would be no magnesium shot. There would be no saving grace. This was the really deal and the baby was coming soon, which meant that she was headed for that ultimate excruciating pain so many women had warned her about and a streak of panic whirled through Elsa's chest.

The next contraction was so painful Elsa had to grip the back of the couch, sinking her nails into the cushion as she rode the climb to the peak. The leather groaning in her hands was silenced by Elsa's loud breathing. The numbers on the timer app sped by as Anna smoothed her hands over Elsa's lower back and used her gentlest voice to coach her through the contraction, reminding her to relax her hands and focus on her breathing.

Over the next twenty minutes Anna was unable to establish a pattern because the contractions were becoming closer and longer, deciding it was time to call Dr. Bjorgman's office. Anna went to the kitchen to use the house phone so that she could look at the contraction app on her cell phone at the same time.

Meanwhile, back in the living room Elsa was having a contraction so painful that she was now curled up on the floor moaning every vowel sound in the English and perhaps Norwegian language as well. Just knowing Anna was calling the doctor gave her some peace of mind but she still felt like she was being gutted like a fish from the tip of her cervix up to her ribs.

As the peak of the contraction passed, Elsa listened in on Anna's phone call to try and see what the next step was but the redhead's voice was much too high and shrill to be anything bearing good news.

"What do you mean he's out of town?! He promised he wasn't going anywhere!" Anna boomed from the kitchen in rage as Elsa felt her heart sink, hoping she didn't just hear what she thought she heard.

 _Oh God, please no. Please tell me this isn't happening. This isn't how it's supposed to happen._

Another contraction came on and Anna's screeching voice blurred into the background as Elsa began to chant her series of long drawn out _oohs_ , like she was about to say oops but the -ps never came. Each _ooh_ getting longer and louder as the contraction torturously climbed towards its peak. When it finally passed Elsa could barely move. She just aimlessly stared at the baby proofed wall outlet on the wall in front of her and hoped Anna returned before another one started.

Just as the next contraction began, Anna knelt by her side and held her hand while brushing her fingers through the mussed hair framing Elsa's face, making sure to whisper those oh so important words into her ear.

 _You're doing so great…_

 _Relax, breathe…just breathe_ …

 _It's almost over…_

 _You got this Elsa…_

Just hearing Anna's sweet voice in her ear made it so much more bearable. It didn't decrease the pain but it was a million times better than facing the contraction head on by herself. Once Elsa was able to regain her focus, she turned back to Anna to find out what all the yelling had been about.

"What's wrong? Where is he?" referring to Dr. Bjorgman, the man she had depended on for the past eight months. The man, the _only_ man, she needed to get through this birth and did NOT want to hear that something had ripped her plans to shreds.

"I'm just going to be honest," Anna quavered as she heaved a regretful sigh. This was not one of the best things to tell a woman in labor. "Dr. Bjorgman had a family emergency and had to fly out of town. He's expected to fly back sometime today but they told us not to expect him to be able to attend the birth." The pain Elsa just felt radiating through her uterus was now matched by the pain ripping through her broken heart. Her lips parted in horror, the bottom ruby red one trembling as her second chance at a perfect birth was now dust in the wind.

"Elsa wait. The good news, if there could even be good news in this situation, is that there are three doctors on call at the hospital right now. That means we have a two in three chance of our doctor not being Dr. Westergard. But right now you can't focus on that. We have to just keep working on the contractions because you're already at 3 centimeters and your contractions are coming really close together. They said to call them back in another hour or as soon as they're two and a half minutes apart. You're at three right now," Anna forced a smile and lay next to Elsa on the floor, wanting to move her onto the couch but remembering Jane had said not to move her unless she felt uncomfortable. And other than having her birth dreams stomped on, Elsa looked perfectly fine huddled behind the couch ironically in the fetal position.

Time began to bear no meaning and everything slowly became a blur. The white outlet on the wall had become Elsa's new best friend during her contractions, giving her something to focus on instead of the feeling like she was being slowly torn in half. Her world had turned into a cycle of contractions, Anna's voice, wall outlet, and then the precious break in between contractions where she tried to take sips from a bottle of water with a straw so that Elsa didn't have to use her hands.

"I know you probably can't tell but I put a pink straw in there. You know. Pink for girl," Anna said sheepishly, knowing it was no time for jokes but she needed to laugh, even if just a little.

It felt like eons had passed and Elsa wondered if she'd ever move out from behind the couch and progress enough to get to the hospital. So it came as a shock when Anna announced that Elsa didn't even make it the full hour before reaching two and a half minute contractions. She'd done so in a matter of only 40 minutes. She died a little inside thinking how if that was only 40 minutes she was never going to make it through umpteen hours of labor, wondering just what in the world she'd gotten herself into.

Anna returned to the kitchen to make another call to the head nurse at Dr. Bjorgman's office as apparently Elsa wasn't the only one who had decided to go into labor that day and all on-call doctors were busy.

The steady beating of her own heart was the only thing keeping Elsa sane between her current contractions but took comfort in knowing the baby was probably being soothed by the same melodic rhythm.

Anna returned to the room in a huff with a stoic look glazed upon her face. "Okay it's time. They want us to head to the hospital." Her voice was something straight of a dramatic movie and Elsa felt the gravity of the moment start to sink in. Which was great because she knew going to the hospital was one step closer to having her baby in her arms and the God forsaken pain would come to an end.

She had been wise to head down stairs before the contractions as it was difficult enough to get up and stagger to the front door, even with Anna's help. It took Elsa so long to waddle to the door that she actually had to stop and ride out a contraction standing on the welcome mat just outside. A neighbor out for a morning walk stopped and did a double take and Anna bit her tongue, literally, as she tried to keep herself from telling the gawker off.

It felt like they were going on a road trip with the amount of gear packed like Jenga blocks into the back of the Highlander but they were only going ten minutes away to the hospital. Anna helped a struggling Elsa into the car and secured the seat belt over her two most precious treasures, noticing that Elsa's bleak face was flushed and a bright crimson had bloomed across her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose. Her beautiful golden blonde hair was braided back tighter than normal, knowing it would probably get messier as the labor progressed, and her near vacant eyes had squeezed shut as she wilted against the side of the window.

Hopping into the driver's seat Anna paused for a moment and went through her mental checklist of everything they needed.

 _Car seat, hospital bag, insurance card, wife, and baby. That's everything._

With a quick turn of her wrist, Anna started the car and _slowly_ , ever so slowly and carefully headed towards the freeway. Jane had warned Anna to remind herself to go slow as a lot of people got in car accidents on the way to the hospital during labor trying to hurry. Knowing she had always had the need for speed, Anna repeatedly reminded herself to get everyone to the hospital in one piece.

As soon as they merged onto the freeway there was no longer any need for Anna to remind herself about her speed. She'd completely forgotten that it was the middle of morning rush hour and the freeway was a log jam of cars. She couldn't have sped even if she wanted to.

The traffic was a gridlock nightmare. Bumper to bumper and the only thing Anna could do was helplessly hold Elsa's hand as she went through contraction after contraction in the carpool lane, breathing and moaning in agony through it all.

"Anna. I'm going to throw up," Elsa groaned, astounded by the amount of discomfort and pain she was enduring after only three hours of her water breaking.

Anna searched the car for something, _anything_ for Elsa to use as a sick bag; finding an empty grocery bag under the seat and handing it to Elsa just in time. It was almost amazing how throwing up didn't even register into Elsa's consciousness. She was already in so much pain that puking wasn't even a blip on the radar.

What should have taken only ten minutes to get to ended up taking over a half hour before they reached the hospital. Anna wanted to hug whatever genius came up with the idea of having valet parking at a hospital because all she had to do was pull up and unload the car as two attendants helped Elsa into a wheelchair and escorted them to maternity. Arriving during normal operating hours was a whole different experience.

They were in a different room number this time but the layout looked exactly the same. It had a bit of a homey feeling and thankfully lacked the white sterile look most hospital rooms tended to embody. The warm light beige room was lined with maple cabinetry that hid all of the medical equipment and the dark blue printed sofa bed that Anna was dreading sleeping on was against a window that provided a decent view of the city off in the distance. The only new thing that had been added to the room was the baby warmer equipment and a hospital style bassinet next to the bed, as if the room itself knew today was the big day.

The mood was also a stark contrast to their previous visit. Even though Elsa was dealing with a never ending barrage of contractions, she and Anna still had time to smile and kiss during the breaks as the excitement level grew with a welcomed labor instead of one they were desperately trying to stop.

More uncomfortable than ever, Elsa decided to skip lying in the bed all together and sat on an exercise ball while leaning over the edge of the bed, similar to what she had been doing at home before she resigned to the floor. With Elsa situated in a perfect position to labor in, Anna took a minute to unpack and orientate herself with the room, standing with her hands on her hips as a wide smile crept across her face. It felt like her entire life had been leading up to this moment. It was going to be the best day ever and nothing was in their way.

"Elsa, the doctor will be in to see you in a minute," a nurse said, popping their head into their room.

 _Oh that's right I forgot we're playing Russian roulette with the on-call doctors today_ , Anna reminded herself.

Apparently there _was_ something that could stand in their way. Something tall and menacing with disgustingly thick auburn sideburns and a sore bedside manner. They still had a one in three shot of getting sideburns as their doctor and Anna crossed her fingers and prayed her hardest that they got one of the other doctors. Her good luck rituals were interrupted by a loud knock and both of their heads snapped towards the door to see their worst nightmare waltz straight into the room.

"Really?! _Really?!_ There isn't _anyone else_ in this entire hospital that can deliver our baby? We have to have Dr. Douchebag?" Anna was livid. Her face burned a scorching bright red and Dr. Westergard even winced as she yelled at him so loudly that patients two floors up could hear her, probably even feel the heat from the flames licking her entire body.

"According to your insurance there isn't and everyone else is busy," Hans didn't seem as upset as they were but was still his usual unpleasant self. It was as if the man took pleasure in torturing them, watching them squirm under his rule and he inflicted his revenge upon Elsa.

"Listen, I wanna tell you something-" Anna started to say when Elsa silenced her.

"Anna, stop! I'm not letting him ruin our day. He's a jerk, we hate him and we all know it. We can't change it so I refuse to cry about it the entire time instead of focusing on my baby. That being said, I think it goes without saying Hans that if anything happens during this delivery, my wife will break you. Understood?" All of Elsa's rage, fueled by extra hormones, was unloaded into her warning as she glared daggers into him. But Hans didn't back down and just smiled back at her with a small condescending laugh.

"Get a gown on Elsa," he shot back sanctimoniously, tossing an ugly blue printed hospital gown at her feet before heading back out the door.

"What an _asshole_ ," Anna whispered aloud, trying to stifle the fury boiling within her.

"Just...don't let him get to you. He's going to try his hardest so don't give him the satisfaction. He'd love nothing more than to make this miserable for us." Against her will, Elsa slipped the gown on over her sleeping bra and sweatpants, planning to rip it off the minute Hans was done with the cervix check.

Hans returned and tempestuously pulled two gloves from a box on the counter and rolled his stool like a King upon his throne over to the foot of Elsa's bed.

"Isn't there a nurse or something that should be present? I feel like I may need a witness to your behavior," Elsa fired.

"Elsa, please. I'm a medical professional. Just lie back and let me do my job without you getting hysterical," he retorted, applying a generous amount of jelly to his fingers and Anna thought she was going to lose her breakfast, or punch him. She wasn't sure which would happen first but both seemed likely at the moment.

"You're a professional asshole is what you are," she muttered loud enough for him to hear as she assumed the world's most awkward position to be in with a former fling. And in front of her loving wife no less. Elsa had avoided the pelvic exam last time but there was no way around it now. She reluctantly slid her pants off and handed them to Anna as she clenched her teeth together and laid back on the bed as Hans proceeded to check her cervix.

"You're 5 centimeters dilated and 100% effaced. That's about two centimeters since your first contraction two hours ago. At this rate she'll be here before lunch and we can all get out of each other's lives." He rolled the latex gloves off his hands and tossed them into the trash before he sat back in his stool.

"I know what your plan says but I want you to know that if you want an epidural the window of opportunity is going to be very small considering how fast your labor is progressing," he said with cautious look, eyebrows arched high on his forehead as Elsa glared at his ridiculously pronounced chin.

"I don't want drugs. Don't ask me again," she managed to choke out before another contraction started.

" _Alright_. Don't say I didn't warn you. I'll be back in a while to check you again unless you page me." Had Elsa not been gripped with pain, she would have had some witty retort for him but Anna covered that with a nice scowling glare as Hans left the room.

Now just the two of them Anna continued to talk Elsa through the contraction when a chipper voice rattled across the room.

"Elsa and Anna?" the voice asked.

Anna was still busy helping Elsa down from the last contraction when she replied, "that's us," and turned to see a portly male nurse with a bucked toothed grin standing merrily at the door.

"Oh hi! I'm Olaf. Your labor and delivery nurse," he simpered with an adorable little laugh.

"Wait, nurse? I didn't know they had male maternity nurses," Anna said with a puzzled look on her face.

"I know. There's not many of us but I promise I'm just as good if not better than the ladies here." Olaf toddled his way into the room with Elsa's chart and set it on the counter as he began to prep a butterfly needle for Elsa's IV catheter.

"Anna both of our doctors are male. It's not a big deal, really. And I'm sorry but did you say Olaf?" Elsa asked as Olaf took her fragile hand into his own, rubbing an alcohol swab over the dark blue vein on the top of her hand.

"That's right," Olaf replied and stuck the needle into the coursing vein before quickly taping it down and inserting a hep lock onto the end of the tubing so that Elsa could still walk around as she didn't need to be attached to an IV bag just yet.

"This is a strange question but are you...Norwegian at all?" She asked in a shy voice, suddenly having a Déjà Vu moment from her dream.

"My mother is. That's how I ended up with this name. How did you know?"

"I'm from Oslo. Olaf is the patron saint of Norway. I know we just met, and this sounds crazy, but this is almost like an omen. In a good way." She chuckled nervously and Olaf just smiled back ten times wider.

"Well good. I _am_ pretty cool you know. Just ask the moms who had me yesterday. You're all set here for now. Is there anything else I can do for you? How are contractions going?" His voice possessed the sweetest sense of concern and suddenly Anna didn't care what gender he was as the difference between him and Hans was night and day.

"They're going alright. My hips and back hurt the most and I could use some water." Elsa had been doing so much breathing and moaning her mouth was as dry as a scorching stretch of barren desert.

"No problem. I'll be right back and the next contraction I'll show Anna a few tricks to help those hips and back." Olaf hustled out of the room and they both giggled at his adorable walk.

"He seems nice. A little weird at first but I like him," Anna added.

"I like him too. He has that same energetic vibe you do. I feel better knowing we have him and not just Hans."

Olaf returned with a plethora of snacks for Anna and a glass of water with a straw for Elsa. He also brought some crushed ice and what looked like a bottle of hand lotion.

"I brought snacks in case mommy Anna was hungry. So for the next contraction there's a few things we can do to make it a tad bit more bearable." Olaf walked over and knelt behind Elsa, motioning for Anna to join him by his side.

"Elsa if you don't mind I'm going to put my hands on your hips to show Anna how to do this."

She smiled at how considerate and polite Olaf was. "Okay Olaf."

"What I want you to do is put your hands right here along her hips, your fingers just at the hip bone, and when the contraction starts...squeeze her hips together until Elsa feels some relief. But experiment around with pressure to see how it feels. I'll show you one this contraction and then you take the next."

During the following contraction Olaf did just as he said and firmly pressed Elsa's hips together, taking the pressure off her lower back and decreasing some of the cramping. Elsa's moans even turned pleasant for a moment as she felt the pangs of pain slightly melt aware from her tailbone.

"So Anna while you do that, I'll help distract Elsa from the pain even more with some hand pressure massage, if that's okay with you."

"Olaf, you have my permission to do whatever you want. That was the easiest contraction I've had all morning."

Olaf pumped some thick aloe smelling lotion into his hands, rubbing them together and held Elsa's hand palm side up as he began to run two firm thumbs along the center of her palm. The feeling was exquisite and Elsa's face completely relaxed at his touch. She even smiled a little. Anna felt a tinge of jealousy but quickly moved away from that thought when she saw what a wonderful job he was doing with Elsa's pain management.

"Olaf, this feels amazing. Can I take you to work with me and you can do this when I get stressed?" She joked, humming another pleasurable sigh as Olaf smoothed the pain away.

"If only. I read in your birth plan it said you wanted a natural birth so I'm here to keep the pain at bay with my drug free techniques."

When the next contraction hit Anna squeezed Elsa's hips together as hard as she could and Olaf increased his pressure on Elsa's hand. The two of them working together took the edge of the contractions and Elsa was able to feel less afraid and out of control, letting her body get to work and make way for baby.

The three of them worked on various pain relief techniques for the next hour and Olaf came in and out of the room to give them privacy. In the middle of the room Elsa had changed to a standing position and was curled against Anna in what looked like a slow dance stance. Her arms were wrapped around Anna's neck but her head was down as she closed her eyes and swayed to Anna's rhythm. It felt like a dance for laboring couples, the only thing missing was some proper music but the monotone chirping of the monitors did just fine.

"I'm so proud of you. You're doing such an amazing job and you're more than halfway there," Anna whispered as she kissed the top of Elsa's head and followed the ridges of the braid flowing down her back with her eyes. Elsa didn't reply but Anna didn't really expect her to. All her energy was going towards bringing their baby into this world and that was all she expected of her.

"This makes me love you so much more. Watching you be so brave. I know you're in pain but this is so beautiful at the same time and I can't help but think that seven years has lead to this moment. That the beautiful woman I couldn't live without meeting, who wooed me with a song and showed me what love really was, is now having my baby." She nearly cried as she looked around the room and saw the bassinet next to the bed. They were hours away from becoming a threesome and starting the next chapter of their lives together as a family.

"It's amazing how two strangers can meet and build a whole life together from something that was once nothing. That we can create a whole person together, in our unique way. I'm so glad I found you. I'm so glad you're mine. I love you."

Using all her strength Elsa stood up straight and gazed deeply into Anna's teary eyes. "You are my everything sweet Anna. And I love you with every beat of my heart."

A few minutes later when Olaf returned, the three of them continued to work through the contractions and when Hans checked Elsa again she was eight centimeters dilated.

Washing his hands off at the sink Hans pushed once again on the epidural issue. "I just want to reiterate this is the last time I will be able to offer you any medical interventions for pain. If you want it, and I highly recommend you get it, _now_ is the time. Otherwise you'll have to settle for me telling you _I told you so_ later when the first thing your child hears in this world is you screaming in agony."

"Anna, please handle this." Elsa was too far gone enjoying the foot massage Olaf was giving her and she wasn't about to interrupt his magical pudgy little hands to waste more time on Hans.

Anna on the other hand didn't even bother with words and physically shoved Hans across the room and out the door, slamming it behind him as she returned back to her wife and their new awesome helper.

Eight centimeters in and things were really ramping up now. Elsa was too exhausted to sit on her own on the exercise ball anymore and moved to an inclined position on the bed. Her body felt like it was short circuiting and Olaf and Anna kept trying to do as much as they could to keep her calm as they could see Elsa's spirit beginning to dwindle. One minute she was burning hot with streaks of sweat rolling down the crease between her tensing brows, and the next she was shivering with cold spells. Anna was constantly covering poor Elsa in blankets only to have to rip them off and fan her down a moment later. The contractions were getting worse and Elsa was now battling them back to back, some even lasting four minutes with no break and Elsa could barely catch her breath. It killed Anna to see her in pure agony like this. Drowning in a vortex of unending pain, Elsa had long left the world of reality and was now in a twilight zone where time and space ceased to exist.

 _Hang in there._

 _You're so close._

 _So close Elsa just a little more until you get to push and she's here._

 _Just think about Lilly._

 _Think about holding her, her beautiful eyes, her tiny fingers and toes._

 _It's going to be worth it._

Anna looked at her wife's rubicund face and combed away the stray blonde hairs sticking to the sheen of sweat coating her hairline. Even in this ungodly amount of pain Elsa was still so beautiful to Anna.

Hans returned to check the scrolling paper flowing out of the printer below the fetal monitor that recorded the baby's heart rate and contractions. He scratched his cheek and held out an arms length of the print out with a disconcerting purse of his lips.

"What's wrong?" Elsa croaked, too tired to even be talking but the look on his face was scaring her so much it was an automatic reaction to ask.

"Her heart rate is decreasing. Not enough to do anything about but enough that we need to keep an eye on it," he muttered. Even though it wasn't great news it was the nicest tone he had used yet. Maybe he did have a heart after all.

"What do you mean?" Elsa shook her head, bewildered.

"Your contractions look fine. I don't think that's what's causing the stress but it may be the cord is wrapped around her in some way. If it gets any worse we may have to look at a c-section but for now I'm just going to monitor it. Let's see how far you are and it may not make a difference if you're ready to push."

Former fling or not, Elsa didn't care _who_ the man was as long as he knew how the hell to make sure her baby came into this world healthy. This time neither one of them gave each other any grief as he checked her cervix.

"You're almost there but not quite. You're at nine and if you push you'll tear for sure and I don't want to go down that route. You could wind up with a fourth degree tear and bleed so bad we'd then be worried about you hemorrhaging. Just keep working and see how the baby responds over the next half hour."

There was silence in the room and Anna couldn't stand to be on the other side of the room by herself anymore. With three quick strides she was back by Elsa's side stroking her cheek and reassuring her everything would be fine.

Hans finished washing his hands and pulled a copy of Elsa's birth plan from her chart, slowly walking towards Anna with a snarky look on his face.

"Anna I wanted to go over something with you. I see here it says you want to catch the baby and hand her to Elsa as well as cut the cord. I'm fine with you cutting the cord but I can't allow you to catch her," he drawled, seeming like he just loved to torture her with his ridiculous hospital policy bullshit.

"Why not?! We talked about this with Dr. Bjorgman and Jane Porter and they've known several dads who have caught their babies!" Anna had moved away from Elsa and she was standing stiff as a board with her fists clenched so tight they blanched, a fierce look of indignation flourished across her freckled face. She was not giving up. She was not going down without a fight. She had already let go of her dream of carrying any of their babies and this was the one thing she was looking forward to more than anything. Her hand flew to her mouth and she pressed it hard against her lips, trying not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry but she could feel her defenses crumbling. She was exhausted and this was going to emotionally break her before the baby even got here.

"It's just not safe and I can't allow it. There will be me and two nurses assisting this baby out and I can't have you there getting in the way."

Anna's face turned the color of a well ripened tomato and she sucked in a huge breath, ready to unload every bit of animosity she held towards Hans when a man's voice disrupted her.

"I'm looking for Elsa Arendelle." The man said. Elsa sat up, face suddenly whiter than a ghost and looked at the man in the doorway along with everyone else as her and Anna's jaws dropped in unison.


	33. Chapter 33

Anna gasped so loudly that she quite possibly sucked every last molecule of air out of the delivery room. Every lightning bolt of anger she was about to cast down on Hans disintegrated into thin air and she nearly fell to the floor in relief.

"You guys weren't going to have a baby without me, were you?" Dr. Bjorgman boomed happily as he entered the room, still dressed in his street clothes as he leered in Hans' direction.

"Kristoff's here!" Olaf cheered, his beady eyes wide with a childlike excitement as he lightly clapped his hands.

Elsa was so overcome with joy she cocked her arm over her eyes and cried silently, trying hard not to jostle her belly more than she had to but God was she glad to see him.

With her arms stretched out like a plane ready for takeoff Anna knocked Hans out of the way, falling to the floor, as she ran and jumped into Kristoff's open arms with glee. He squeezed her tiny body with one strong arm while he waved a friendly hello to Elsa, who was still crying a waterfall of tears, with the other.

"How did you...I thought...we thought...oh God...this is too much!" Anna stammered uncontrollably, unable to form a decent thought or sentence through her blinding elation.

"There was some kind of a mix up at the office and Hans' nurse never bothered to tell me that Elsa had gone into labor after she got Anna's call this morning. If it wasn't for Olaf calling me I would have missed your birth entirely."

Anna pulled back and her face twisted in confusion. "She said you flew out of town for an emergency."

A hush fell over the room and all eyes were on Hans as he stood insolently at the center of the room with a scornful look burned onto his features, hands clenched at his sides in anger.

Outraged, Elsa gathered her strength and forced herself to sit up and confront Hans. "That doesn't sound like a mix up. You set this up didn't you? You've had it out for me this entire time. Ever since you saw me in that office you've been trying to destroy what's supposed to be the happiest day of my life."

Kristoff narrowed his gaze and searched Hans' face for any signs of remorse but found none. "Is this true? You tried to purposely cut me out of this birth and deprive Elsa of her birth plan? Why on Earth would you do such a thing?" He asked bewilderedly.

"Because she doesn't deserve it. She's fooled you all into thinking she's this wonderful person but she's not. _Heartless_ comes to mind, _doesn't it Elsa_?" Hans sneered as he turned on his heel to face her dead in the eyes.

Wiping the tears from her narrowing eyes, Elsa summoned even more strength to sit up straight and glare razor sharp daggers back at Hans. "Hans, I said it that night and I'm saying it for the last time...get out of this room and get out of my life." A hand tapped Hans on the shoulder and a security guard escorted him out of the room as Elsa's icy cold stare followed him out. One nurse even clapped as Hans was escorted away in shame.

The minute Hans left the room everyone returned to what they were doing as Elsa collapsed against the bed and curled back into a ball as she braced herself for another contraction, hoping for the love of all things holy that it wasn't a double one again.

"Where are we? Fill me in on what I've missed Olaf." Dr. Bjorgman set his bag down and began to thumb through Elsa's chart. Anna was holding their embrace and he had to look over her shoulder to read Hans' notes in the chart.

"She's been here for a few hours now. Progressing rather quickly I might add. She's nine centimeters dilated and 100% effaced. Fetal heart rate is showing mild signs of distress, possible cord entanglement, and contractions are lasting up towards 90 seconds and are coming back-to-back at times." Olaf rattled off Elsa's stats with a military timed precision, seeming smarter than he ever had led himself on to be as he stood at attention at Kristoff's side.

"Well, you're on the fast track to having a having baby, aren't you? This is going to be one of those six hour labors. You're doing double the work in half the time. How are you feeling?" He pried Anna's death grip off from around his chest and strode over to Elsa's bed with an impressed look on his face.

Safe in the care of her own doctor, Elsa released the anguish and fear she'd been holding onto and turned all of her worries over to him, the only one that could save her at this point because while she loved Anna with all her heart, Elsa was bordering on terror from the amount of pain she was experiencing and he was the only one who knew how to handle this. She'd reached a point where she was running out of resources to cope with the endless marathon of pain her body was subjecting her to.

"It hurts. It hurts _so_ bad. If I weren't getting a baby at the end of this I'd tell you to kill me now. _Really_. I don't think I can take much more this," Elsa cried, her brows knitted so tightly together they were one long dark blonde line. She was so weak and her body was relentlessly driving her to the brink of madness. The anguish on her face was breaking Anna's heart and she knew there wasn't much more she could do than she already was. Nature had taken over and Elsa was now at the hands of its mercy like so many before her.

"I know it hurts but you're so close now. You'll probably be ready to push in another 15 minutes at the rate you're going. Just remember, you're about to do the most amazing thing you've ever done in your whole life. You're going to prove to yourself how brave and strong you truly are and you will forever look back on this moment as your greatest accomplishment." His words were so profound that Elsa was able to dig a little deeper and scrape the bottom of the barrel to find a little more strength inside her. This was going to be the greatest thing she ever did and she had never quit or given up on anything before and she wasn't going to start now. Kristoff wasn't going to let her die and she was going to survive this. She closed her eyes and heard Emily's mom's voice reminding her that it was all worth it. That woman was living proof that she could make it through this.

"Anna, we're getting close so I'm going to have Olaf get you some scrubs to change into to catch the baby." _Could he get any better?_ She thought to herself. "They have pink, green, or blue."

It was funny how the color options were almost like her new soon to be little family. Anna had always loved green and Elsa had always been fond of blue. Pink was the only color they'd used for the baby in combination with green so Anna decided to go with pink in honor of her daughter.

"I'm gonna go with pink," she exclaimed with a smile as Kristoff left to also change into his scrubs. Anna slid over and took his place on the edge of the bed and brought Elsa's clammy hand up to her mouth for a kiss, dismayed by her inability to spare Elsa the awful pain that was devouring her spirit.

"It'll be over soon. Just hang in there. I'm going to go change but I'll be right back. I love you."

With Kristoff and Anna away changing into their scrubs, Olaf came to Elsa's side to keep her company. The room was quiet and Elsa could hear the shaking of her own shallow breathing as Olaf pulled the scratchy thin blanket over her shivering frame. The dewy beads of sweat trickling down her hairline sent chills racing down her spine as she continued to battle her body's fluctuating temperature. The thought of seeing the baby was slowly being replaced with the new goal of just getting out of pain. It was unbearable at this point and she wanted to jump out of her body every time a contraction peaked. Olaf smiled warmly and held her delicate hand, stroking the top as she blankly stared at him with vacant eyes; too tired to even make facial expressions.

"You're doing so great. You're also one of the quietest moms ever. You're like one of those hypnobirthing moms you see on youtube," he giggled.

"I feel like I'm being loud. I've just never been one to yell," she croaked, voice dry and raspy from the constant breathing and panting during contractions. And Olaf was right, the only sound Elsa made was the breathy chants of _ooh_ and _ow_. The _ow_ started when the back-to-back contractions came on and was basically just trying to say _ouch_. But other than the loudness during the peak, Elsa wasn't yelling or screaming like most moms in labor. Leave it to Elsa to be the most regal and elegant mother there ever was, even during labor.

"Thank you for calling Kristoff. I worked really hard to try and have the birth I wanted and Hans was just out to seek his revenge on me," her voice brittle and dry as she looked into Olaf's sympathetic eyes. "You truly are a saint."

"I've worked here long enough to know that Kristoff doesn't miss a birth when he's scheduled to be in town," he said warmly, positioning a straw in front of Elsa's lips so that she could take a few sips of water.

Anna came back into the room first sporting the smallest sized women's scrubs the hospital had with her copper locks tied back in a ponytail, ready to meet the new love of her life when she caught a glimpse of a deteriorating Elsa over on the bed.

"You doing okay?" Her head quirked when she saw Elsa was shivering again and she scurried back over to the side of the bed, bringing her face right up to the blonde's so that their noses were almost touching.

"I need K-kristoff," Elsa muttered, teeth nearly chattering and she was about to give up. It had become too much at this point and she felt like she was on the verge of going insane.

"He's coming. Elsa just think of that Journey song you always used to sing to me when I got nervous. You know, _don't stop…believin'. Hold on to that feelin'._ " Anna started to sing softly with a muted enthusiasm but stopped when she saw a scowl twist over Elsa's face. She was NOT in the mood.

" _Anna_. Don't. Sing. Don't. Talk," she seethed through her clenched teeth. She'd now become that angry pregnant woman who couldn't stand the sound of her own wife's voice. Everything in the room suddenly irritated Elsa to no end and she was ready to jump ship.

Kristoff finally returned and Elsa flagged him down with the last bit of energy she had left, fiercely grabbing him by the neck of his shirt and looked at him with a frightened desperation.

"You'd better figure out how I'm going to m-make it through this. I'm done. I can't take anymore and I'm losing my mind. Do s-something," she begged. She wasn't the first mom to reach this point and he wasn't thrown by her behavior in the least.

"You feel like pushing?" He asked rather chipper.

"I have no idea! I can't tell anything anymore," Elsa sputtered frantically.

"Let me watch the next contraction and if you feel like pushing let me know," he instructed.

The next contraction didn't feel any worse than the previous one except for when her uterus made a huge spasmodic wave on one side that scared her so bad she yelled out for help. The yelping made the contraction hurt ten times worse and Anna rubbed her back the way Jane showed her as Elsa tried to return to her rhythmic breathing, the only thing she knew how to do anymore.

When the contraction finally stopped Elsa had thrown all dignity out the window. "Whatthehellwasthat!" She shouted, pointing to the spasm that nearly killed her.

"You're ready to push. That's your body trying to push her out on its own. Stay right there. I need to call the delivery team because it's time. Anna, go wash your hands and get ready to meet your baby."

"Yes!" She cheered with a fist pump and skipped over to the sink to scrub up.

The room suddenly felt as busy as Grand Central Station during the evening commute as a team of delivery staff swarmed the room to prepare for the baby's arrival. Olaf laid out the cord blood collection kit along with all the other necessary instruments needed just in case something went wrong. Another nurse turned the baby warmer on and laid out several blankets and towels, including one very teeny tiny blue and pink striped beanie. Anna squealed once she saw the beanie and her heart began to race as the moment they'd all been patiently waiting for was now minutes away, provided Elsa didn't have any complications with pushing.

Elsa was still lying on her side completely oblivious to what was going on as she focused on her shallow breaths and directed her tired eyes at a pale pink hospital cup over on the nightstand. She heard the clattering of medical tools and whatnot in the background but was so exhausted all she could think about was getting the baby out and ending the pain.

After Olaf was done setting up for delivery, he and Anna helped Elsa into a comfortable position to push in. She didn't want to lie back because Jane had recommended a variation on a sitting position to get more use out of her muscles, so that's exactly what she did. Sitting up with her back slightly rounded between two bent legs, Elsa prepared to move into the final stage of labor. The finish line was now in sight and the fear and panic started to fade as she now only had to push her way to freedom. Easier said than done.

Dr. Bjorgman came back into the room and a nurse helped him scrub up and put on a pair of light blue latex gloves that went up and over the cuffs of his matching blue scrubs.

"Elsa I know there's a lot going on right now but it'll settle down in a minute. Just take your time and let me know when you feel the next contraction," he said in a soothing voice, positioning himself at the foot of the bed.

The noise in the room settled and it became near silent with just the sound of the machines beeping in time with Elsa's heart. Anna held Elsa's hand as she began to take deeper breaths, blowing them out with a whooshing sound as she nodded to signal the oncoming contraction.

"Okay good. If you feel like it, try pushing this contraction but take it slow. You want this part to go slow so that you don't tear. Just feel it out, there's no pressure." His assurance brought a calm to her racing mind as she waited to align her breathing with the pace of the contraction.

Elsa's breathing steadily increased and with one big breath she tried to emulate everything she'd only seen or read about pushing up until this point in her life. With her lungs filled to capacity, nearly bursting, she held that huge breath and pushed it down with every ounce of strength she had left. Her eyes squeezed shut and her grip on Anna's hand tightened to a crushing pressure and the redhead knew she wouldn't be able to sign her name for at least a year. Whatever Elsa knew about pushing was completely different from what it actually felt like. She was using every fiber of her being to get the baby to move just a millimeter and it felt like she was trying to expel the world heaviest boulder from her body instead.

Out of breath and out of strength, Elsa released the air trapped in her lungs with a high pitch exhale at the force of a Learjet; looking dejectedly at Dr. Bjorgman for some much needed guidance.

"You're doing great. Keep going. Nice and slow," he reminded.

Another big breath and Elsa pushed even _harder_ , bearing a line of pearly white teeth as the tendons in her neck strained into tight protruding cords against the pale narrow column. This time the baby felt like she moved a little and that was all Elsa needed to motivate her to exhale and quickly come right back with a final push before the contraction ended.

"Good, good, good. Nice job Elsa!" Kristoff cheered. When the contraction ended he quickly checked to see how far down the baby had come and was surprised to feel her head already descending.

"She moved down _a lot_. You want to feel her head?" He asked exuberantly.

Elsa quirked her brows, not knowing one could do such a thing, and without thinking about it shook her head no. _I'll feel her head when she's out._

"I want to!" Anna yelled and ebulliently raised her hand straight into the air like she was at school. Before anyone could say anything, including her wife, Anna was at the foot of the bed following Kristoff's instructions.

"Feel her? Right there?" He asked as he tried to verbally direct Anna's hand.

Her smile turned to a glint of amazement when she could actually feel the damp narrow skull of the baby making its way down the birth canal.

"Elsa! I can feel her hair!" The look of inexplicable joy on Anna's face made Elsa reconsider and she too wanted to feel the baby. And in a hurry as another contraction was on its way.

She quickly twisted her arm and was able to feel the slippery top of the baby's head, gasping slightly as she made the connection that this wasn't all one big dream and was actually happening. She couldn't really feel her hair but she could at least say she'd felt her head.

The awe of the moment was quieted by the dwindling beeps of the monitor and Elsa thought she was hearing her own heartbeat for a minute until she realized the slowing chirps belonged to the baby. Frightened eyes met Kristoff's and a look of concern was growing on his face, though he remained silent as the baby's heart rate began to drop as to not alarm Elsa. At this point Lilly was already on her way out and whatever complication was occurring would be tended to in a matter of minutes. Elsa made the same conclusion herself and refocused all of her energy on pushing now that the clock had become her enemy.

During the next contraction Elsa made the most progress and was disappointed when the contraction stopped before she was ready to. She could have kept on pushing until the baby was out but there was poor Lilly with her head halfway out. Anna was trying not to cry as she could see at least half of her daughter's head while Elsa looked like she was completely devoid of any life in her eyes. She was beyond exhausted, drained and only had about one good push left in her before she couldn't give any more.

The taunting sound of the slowing heart rate could still be heard in the background and Elsa knew she had to get Lilly out _now._ "You think I can get her out on the next push?" she rasped, drained and nearly depleted of all energy as her fading blue eyes locked with Kristoff's steadfast light brown orbs.

"I think you can but don't force it. She's almost here." Dr. Bjorgman waited down below with an antsy Anna and Olaf by his side.

A nurse quickly handed Anna a large cotton baby blanket to catch Lilly in and went over some instructions with her. Basically that Kristoff would help get the baby onto the blanket and then Anna could immediately hand her to Elsa or whenever she wanted to but that they would wait until the cord stopped pulsing before cutting it like Elsa had requested.

The back building of heavy breathing started up again and everyone knew that was the signal that Elsa was ready to push again. Throwing everything she had left in herself to get Lilly out of danger, Elsa took in a mighty breath and pushed so hard that the only thing she could hear was a high pitched ringing sound echoing in her ears caused by the massive amount of pressure being exerted on her body. It felt so good to push and she wasn't going to stop until she heard Lilly crying in Anna's arms. Suddenly she could hear Anna through the deafening ringing telling her that Lilly was almost out and Elsa felt a huge shot gun release of pressure as the baby's head popped out. Thinking she was done for some reason she let up on the pushing and felt a huge jolt like the baby's shoulders had just slammed into her body.

 _Oh right, shoulders!_ She reminded herself. Hearing Anna and Kristoff telling her to keep going, she quickly sucked in one last big breath and pushed with a loud guttural groan.

"Good! She's here!" Kristoff announced as he helped the slippery newborn into Anna's awaiting hands. "Hold on a second. She's caught up in her cord. While Anna's eyes tried to focus, Kristoff quickly unwrapped the white-blue cord that was wrapped twice around the baby's neck and once around her body, revealing the mysterious cause of the decreasing heart rate. With the cord unraveled, she was good to go and Kristoff handed her off to Anna.

Anna's mouth fell open and she gasped as she laid her eyes on her beautiful baby girl for the first time, the surrealness shattering as reality took over and she could feel Lilly's energy as she cradled her in her arms. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest and all she could say was _oh my God_ over and over again in a moment of pure gold.

Olaf had planned to wipe the baby off a little but she was as clean as a whistle except for a few areas of vernix. Remembering that Elsa was still at the top of the bed waiting for the reward for all her hard work, Anna quickly wrapped the blanket around the baby and moved to the top of the bed to hand her to her wife. As long as the wait had been and as difficult as it was, Anna knew she had to give Elsa and Lilly a moment alone to complete the journey they'd both been on for over nine long months.

Elsa was still panting and desperately trying to catch her breath but immediately opened her arms as a huge smile swept across her flushed face when she saw Anna and the baby, crying out "Lilly" as she placed the swaddled baby into her arms.

Everyone in the room stopped and watched to witness the precious moment of mother and baby seeing each other for the first time.

"Hei min baby. Hei lille venn."

(Hello my baby. Hello little one.)

Elsa kissed the top of Lilly's tiny head and once she started she couldn't stop, giving no less than a good five kisses to her darling baby girl.

After those precious first words to her tiny infant, Elsa could only say "oh my God" as she left the foggy limbo of labor and returned to reality, letting the moment wash over and consume her with the most wonderful bliss she'd ever felt. It was indescribable as she heard Lilly cry and her lungs filled with the first miraculous breaths of life. Each cry was music to her ears, signaling the triumph of a healthy baby as it heralded in her first moments of motherhood.

"Velkommen til verden kjære."

(Welcome to the world my love)

As a cocktail of hormones began to flood Elsa's bloodstream, her focus returned and she was able to get a better look at Lilly. Folding back the fluffy blanket she could see the downy peach fuzz outline of the baby's pale blonde hair. Elsa's jaw dropped and she gently rubbed the blanket over Lilly's hair to clean it off a bit more and get a better look at the color. The more she wiped the lighter her hair appeared. Elsa's eyes roved over the rest of her tiny baby, drinking in every little adorable detail. Skin pink and a little blue from just being born but Elsa could tell they had matching snow white complexions. Lilly's plump pink cheeks were puffy from her trip into the world but her chin, nose, and forehead were all Elsa's.

"She's beautiful," Anna whispered as she came along Elsa's side, lovingly wrapping one arm around her wife and the other around their new baby girl.

No one needed to say it out loud, there was no denying the chosen egg had been Elsa's. Not only that, but her genes had managed to knock out most of the donor's DNA as she looked like a miniature copy of the fair skinned beauty.

"So tell me...was the dream right?" Anna asked, laying a kiss to Lilly's damp head.

Tears pricked the corners of Elsa's eyes, chin quivering as she could only nod an emphatic yes.

"Mine too. I had this gut feeling she was going to look like you and I'm so happy. I love you so much. And I'm so proud of you," Anna too began to cry and tears streaked down her cheeks as they shared their first tender kiss together as parents.

"I love you," Elsa whispered softly against Anna's lips, meaning it now more than ever.

A little more adjusted to the surrealness of the momentous occasion, Elsa carefully opened the blanket all the way so that she and Anna could coo over Lilly.

"Look how tiny her fingernails are," Elsa gushed in amazement, holding Lilly's petite hand in her own as she admired the miracle that had been growing within her womb this entire time. "And they're long. How could you just have been born and need your nails clipped already little one?" Elsa giggled with delight, wrinkling her nose and kissing it gently against Lilly's little button nose.

At this point Lilly's crying had calmed, which hadn't been much to begin with, and she started to slowly let her eyes flutter open as they adjusted to the harsh hospital lighting. Of course like any newborn they were blue, the same brilliant sparkling blue as Elsa's, but her lashes were so long for someone so small.

Lightly brushing the feather soft hair on the side of Lilly's head with her thumb, Elsa caught Lilly's gaze and was so spellbound that she momentarily stopped breathing. She truly was the most beautiful thing they'd ever laid eyes on and Elsa's heart filled with a warmth she'd never known before. It was powerful and awe inspiring. It gripped her soul and she instantly fell even more madly in love with the tiny person she'd carried into being. A love so intense her heart threatened to explode in a moment that was an ending and a beginning all of its own.

The feeling of happiness, joy, pain, exhaustion, and supreme elation swirled within her and culminated into this one tiny soul she now held in her arms. So many conflicting emotions that she couldn't entertain a single one for more than a millisecond but it was a moment she knew would stay with her the rest of her life.

"I hate to interrupt but I think the cord is ready to be cut if you're ready Anna."

Elsa gave Lilly a few more kisses, one on each adorable chubby cheek, and handed her off to Anna while a nurse helped coach Elsa through the last phase of labor and expel the placenta.

Down at the foot of the bed a nurse and Olaf clamped off the cord and handed her a special pair of scissors to do the honors. The cord was thicker than she'd ever been expecting and she had to really put some effort into severing what was once her only lifeline to Elsa. Olaf snapped a few photos of a beaming Anna as she finally got to live out another moment she'd been looking forward to for so long. After bringing Lilly over to the baby warmer, Olaf helped Anna get her into a nice tight swaddle and she was Anna's to hold.

Finally getting a moment alone together, Anna sat in a rocking chair next to the window and away from the action over near Elsa. Lilly must have been hungry as Anna noticed she was sucking on the side of her hand, making the cutest little cooing sounds that made Anna's heart flutter to the point where she almost felt lightheaded.

"Hi Lilly," Anna said softly, mommy voice taking over entirely as she gently rocked her daughter in her arms. "I'm your mommy. And you may not have been born from my tummy but you were born from my heart." Overcome with emotion Anna bit her lip and let a tear fall onto the blanket wrapped around Lilly. "I've been waiting my whole life for you...and now you're finally here. I love you so very much. I love your mommy so much. And I love the woman you're named after...and you're just so...so perfect my love." Everything important in Anna's life was right there with her in that room. It was the most beautiful feeling in the world, to rock her baby and gaze into her crystal blue eyes. She looked so wise for being just minutes old and Anna couldn't tear her eyes away from her, the most important person in her world now.

Elsa lovingly looked on from a distance, head turned to the side as she watched Anna transform into the mother she'd always dreamed of being, like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon and spreading its wings for the first time. It warmed her heart and touched her soul to know that she had been able to give Anna that gift. Seeing the glow on Anna's face, lined with tears of joy over those lovely freckles, was a moment she'd never forget. For the rest of her life she would remember her sweet wife in this heavenly moment.

Anna whipped out her phone and began to take video and photos of her own while the nursing staff tended to Elsa and were amazed she'd had a clean delivery with no tearing or complications to speak of. She was officially done with labor and Olaf came by to congratulate her while Anna continued to make high pitched cooing sounds over in the rocking chair with Lilly.

"You made it! It's all over now. How are you feeling?" Olaf smiled as he held Elsa's still trembling hand, her face illuminated with a radiant glow and the smile of a new mother in love with life and her new little family.

"I feel amazing actually." She glanced over to Anna who was pecking little kisses on the end of Lilly's nose, her tiny little hand wrapped tightly around her mommy's finger. "I don't want to interrupt them but I miss her already." Even though Lilly was only ten feet away Elsa felt like half her heart was missing and she needed Lilly back in her arms. For a flicker of a moment she almost wished they'd had twins just so they could each have a warm bundle of joy to hold.

"Actually we should put a diaper on her before she pees all over Anna. I'll show you how to do that." Olaf fetched a diaper the size of a napkin from the bottom of the bassinet and motioned for Anna to join them over at the bed.

"Here, I'll let you do this. You just had her and barely got to hold her," Anna said as she carefully transferred Lilly back into Elsa's arms and she swore she could see Elsa come to life as she lit up at the sight of Lilly's blinking eyes.

"When she opens her eyes it's the _best_ feeling in the whole world," Elsa murmured as she looked into those familiar baby blues, so big and so full of hope.

"Okay so, let's learn how to put on a diaper. Elsa I'll just need you to lay her down and I'll help you Velcro this one on," holding up the tiny diaper as Elsa lay Lilly down in between her legs and slowly unswaddled the blanket. Lilly had been quietly content up until that point when the cold air hit her baby soft skin and she shivered, bringing her splayed out little hands against her chest as she began to whimper and hiccup a cry.

" _Ohhhh_ , cold baby," Elsa sing-songed in her mommy voice.

Olaf quickly unfolded the diaper and came up next to Elsa to save Lilly from the cold and a potentially wet bottom. "Just remember, for newborn diapers you want the cut out in the front so her belly button can heal and the design also goes in front," holding out the diaper to show the two wide eyed moms. "Next, grab her legs by the ankles, kind of like you're checking a Thanksgiving turkey." Anna had to turn away and laugh hard at that one. "Then lift her up, scoot the diaper underneath and hold it down with one hand while you Velcro the sides. Last but not least, and this is very important, make sure the ruffles around her thighs are pulled out because that's what keeps everything in the diaper. And then _voila!_ " As if Lilly couldn't get any cuter already, the tiny little diaper only made her look more like an official baby, eliciting a chorus of _awwws_ from her mommies.

"Can I hold her now?" Elsa asked impatiently.

"Yes!" Both Anna and Olaf exclaimed, holding their hands out towards Elsa like Lilly was all hers now.

"Good because I've been dying to do this skin to skin thing Jane told me about." Olaf wandered off to help the rest of the nursing staff and Anna watched as Elsa removed the top of her gown and gently laid Lilly on the center of her chest. They both let out another soft _awwww_ as Lilly assumed her fetal position, curling her legs up and snuggling into the warm soft skin of Elsa's chest. The sensation was simply amazing, feeling their body heat exchange as Elsa's delicate fingers gently brushed along Lilly's silky baby-fine hair; loving the velvety texture beneath her fingertips. Elsa had spent the last nine months falling madly in love with Lilly but now that the name had an adorable face to match she could look into her daughter's dazzling blue eyes and know that she was over the moon, crazy in love with Lilly now. So much that her heart ached as she could feel it growing, expanding with overwhelming joy as it made room for the miracle cuddling into her secure embrace; soothed by the only rhythm she'd ever known as Elsa's heartbeat resounded through her chest.

"So worth it. _So so_ worth it. She was right. This is the most incredible feeling in the entire world," Elsa gushed and cupped a hand under Lilly's padded tush, giving her a little more support to go limp against Elsa's heated body.

"Who was right?" Anna asked, still smiling at Lilly's half puckered lips as her heavy lids fluttered closed and the cutest yawn Anna had ever seen escaped from her wide open mouth.

"Emily's mom. At the beach she told me this is exactly how I'd feel and she was right. I _would_ do this a hundred times over again. Look at her. Is she not perfection in its finest?" Dropping her chin and kissing Lilly's golden-blonde locks. She just couldn't stop kissing her and her lips would surely be sore and chapped by the end of the day but Elsa couldn't have cared less.

After some much deserved time with Lilly, Olaf brought Lilly and Anna over to get her first official checkup, coming in at healthy 7 pounds 3 ounces and 19 inches long. There were no complications from the cord entanglement and Lilly was perfectly healthy although probably ready to nurse as she kept sucking on her hand and fingers.

Soon enough the lactation nurse arrived and politely introduced herself before helping Elsa figure out a nursing position she felt most comfortable with. Lilly was so small that it took Elsa a few tries to cradle the tiny baby at just the right height and angle to nurse her. Set and ready in a classic cradle position, Elsa found herself thinking back to the dozens of breastfeeding books she'd diligently combed through before Lilly's arrival, trying to remember what to do next but her mind was so clouded with postpartum bliss that she couldn't recall a thing.

"If she's not already opening her mouth, you can just take your nipple and lightly brush it over her lips." Elsa gave it a try and like magic Lilly's mouth opened wider than an anaconda, frantically searching for something to latch onto and fill her empty tummy. "Perfect. Then just help her lips latch on so they're making a K shape, upper and lower lips flipped out and away from the nipple and just watch her go. "Once Elsa brought Lilly closer to her breast, nature's instinct took over and she latched on with a fierceness that made Elsa yelp in surprise.

"Wow. It's so strong!" The force at which Lilly's itty bitty mouth was suckling was nearly mind blowing and in truth Elsa was finding it hurt a little. Maybe a lot. "Ouch! Is it supposed to hurt this much?" Elsa winced as she watched Lilly's jaw bob up and down, nose pressed firmly against her breast as Lilly breathed tiny puffs of warm air through her petite nose.

The lactation nurse chuckled a bit and helped adjust Lilly's latch to ease some of Elsa's discomfort. "It will hurt a little at first until your breasts get used to it. If it ever hurts too much just put your finger in the side of her mouth to break the suction and relatch her. It will take some time to find a good latch so just try different things until you find something that feels good."

The immediate pain began to subside, probably due to more oxytocin being released into Elsa's bloodstream, and she and Anna were able to marvel at their daughter feasting on life's purest nutrients. Elsa originally chose to breastfeed because she knew it was the healthy option she wanted for Lilly, so full of nutrients and antibodies, but she never knew that it would be one of the most extraordinary experiences of her life. It was beyond beautiful, breathtaking even to watch Lilly be enveloped in the security of her mother. Lilly looked so peaceful as she clutched Elsa's slender index finger with her entire hand, making the most adorable swallowing noises that drove her mommies wild with her cuteness.

"Yum yum huh Lilly?" Anna whispered softly. And of course Anna knew what she was talking about because she'd had the pleasure of sampling Elsa's fine preserves herself.

Lilly breastfed like a champ and the lactation nurse commended Elsa on being so lucky to have such success on their first attempt. But all good things must come to an end and it wasn't long before Lilly slowed down to the point where she fell asleep and was handed off to Anna for her first burping session. Lilly breastfed like a champ and she also burped like a champ, letting out a rather loud belch that Elsa swore she somehow inherited from Anna.

The hustle and bustle of the room began to die down until the only person left was Kristoff who had just finished some paperwork over at the counter when he finally made it over to congratulate the new moms and get a better look at Lilly.

Elsa had changed back into her own clothes and was moving about rather well, having already made her first postpartum trip to the bathroom and even enjoyed a shower, was sitting up Indian style on the bed with Anna as they continued to study their new baby girl with two jovial grins plastered on their faces.

"She certainly is the most beautiful baby I've ever delivered," Kristoff said as he leaned against the edge of the bed, smiling at the radiant grins on both of their faces. It was heartwarming to see them so happy after all they'd been through the last nine months.

"Here, hold her. I want to get a picture of you both," Anna gasped with excitement as she got out her phone and moved back to find some decent lighting. Elsa carefully handed the sleepy baby to Kristoff and the goofiest smile swept across his face. He held her like he'd held a million babies but they could tell he had a certain fondness for Lilly. Her tiny little features were so cute and yet elegant and refined, just like her mommy.

It was uncanny how much they looked alike but Kristoff smiled knowing Lilly had inherited a bit of her other mother's personality as well. He thought back to all the times Lilly had kicked at his Doppler and squirmed about during ultrasounds, as well as all the times he'd remembered Elsa mentioning how active and demanding the baby had been during her pregnancy and already knew that even though Lilly looked like Elsa, somehow she had a whole lot of Anna in her as well.

"I've held a lot of babies but this one feels extra special for some reason. Congratulations you two." Handing the baby back to Elsa, he gave each of them a huge bear hug before bidding the new moms goodbye until he made his rounds again in the morning.

The day whirled by and Elsa was able to take in a lengthy and well deserved nap while Anna spent some bonding time with Lilly in the rocking chair just marveling at her every move. Alone in the privacy of the room, Anna decided to try skin to skin and laid Lilly against her bare chest as Elsa had done, covering Lilly's back in a light green fleece blanket they'd brought from home. Having a baby that looked like her adoring wife and named after her loving mother made Anna's cup runneth over with joy. Her heart no longer felt like it yearned be to filled because she knew a piece of her parents was with her now. Anna's weary eyes drifted down to her baby girl and she chuckled as she watched Lilly's wide open hand palm at her collarbone, lifting her hand to place a kiss against the wrinkly little palm. Holding Lilly's palm was like that feeling she'd had when she fell in love with Elsa but exponentially stronger. Like she was falling and flying at the same time, alive in way she'd never experienced before. She felt part of something bigger than herself and the world began to make sense again.

After a light dinner, the summer sun began to sink into an orange pool of light behind the skyline of the city and the room was dimly lit by a table lamp on the night stand. Left alone to enjoy their new daughter in privacy, Elsa and Anna lay in bed with a swaddled and sleeping Lilly in between them, lost in her angelic presence.

"There's no way I can sleep. I'm just going to stare at her the entire night. She looks like an adorable baby burrito." Perched up on an elbow, Anna lightly brushed Lilly's pink chubby cheek with the back of her finger, smiling at every rise and fall of her body as she breathed those tiny breaths. Everything in the world was as it should be as they interlaced their fingers and let their eyes drift away from Lilly and find each other's, teal meeting blue as they shared a loving smile.

"We're a family," Anna whispered in excited disbelief, eyebrows high on her tired face. The feeling was better than anything she'd ever imagined and she'd never loved Elsa more than in that moment. It didn't matter that her hair was messy and still slightly sticky from sweat, or that her sleeping bra was already smudged with colostrum that had dripped from Lilly's tiny rosebud lips during the last feeding. Elsa looked more beautiful in that moment than she ever had before. Even more beautiful than that warm June day when she wore an exquisite white gown and made Anna hers forever. A soft smile tugged at the corners of Anna's lips and she freed her hand from Elsa's to rest it just behind her ear, pulling her in for a tender kiss just over a dreaming Lilly before whispering against her lips.

"Jeg elsker deg min vakre kone. Mer enn du noen gang vil forstå."

(I love you my beautiful wife. More than you'll ever know.)

Stunned, Elsa's mouth opened slightly and she blinked as a surprised smile painted her blushing face.

"You just said...but how?"

"I ordered and caught up on some Rosetta Stone while you were napping during bedrest. And I practiced that one _a lot_ because I wanted to surprise you today. I can only count to ten and say like three other words so don't get too excited but...I wanted you to be able hear me say _I love you_ in a way that you've never heard me say before, in your own language."

It was clunky and coated in a thick American accent but it plucked Elsa's heartstrings, resonating a sweet melody of emotion that poured out from the depths of her soul on a day that had already been the crowning point in the relationship. It was the first time Elsa had heard those words and believed them wholeheartedly. Hearing those words fall from Anna's sweet lips as they cuddled around their precious baby girl was truly the perfecting ending to a perfect day.


	34. Chapter 34

Dawn was finally approaching and the hospital was saturated with the early glow of blues and purples as the sun ascended to the start of a new day. The tiny shrill cries of a hungry baby echoed throughout the room as Elsa drifted out of a light sleep and wrapped her wailing baby in her arms while she quickly latched Lilly on for an early morning nursing session. Famished little pink lips went to work as Elsa let out a quiet yawn and lovingly smiled down at Lilly.

"God morgen min engel (Good morning my angel)," Elsa said sweetly as their matching blue eyes locked on to each other. Lilly had woken up about every two hours throughout the night and even though Elsa was more tired than she'd ever been in her whole life, there was nothing better than getting lost in those big glacier blue eyes. A small wandering hand came to rest on the top of Elsa's engorged breast as Lilly repeatedly clenched and splayed her fist over her mother's angel soft skin, almost like she was petting and claiming her for her own.

After burping, changing, and swaddling Lilly, Anna was still passed out on the foldout bed with a mop of red hair splashed over her face and one leg crooked up on top of the blankets. The bright side of letting Anna sleep in was that Elsa got a little more one on one time with Lilly and that was always a good thing.

Moving the head of the bed to a higher angle, Elsa leaned back against the softness of the cushion and held Lilly out in front of her, two hands placed behind her fragile head with the length of her arms supporting the baby's body and Elsa's eyes soaked in Lilly's adorable little face.

"I love you. I loooove you," the rise and fall of her voice as she waggled her face in front of Lilly nearly made the poor baby go cross eyed but she was clearly engrossed in Elsa's every move. In a flash that tiny face wrinkled up like a prune and Lilly let out a forceful sneeze, sending her hands flailing up to her face and Elsa mirthfully giggled in response.

"Prosit."

(To your health)

Seeing how Anna wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon, Elsa went ahead and called for breakfast. Her appetite had only grown after having Lilly and now she actually had the room to fill herself to her heart's content.

Slipping on a thin teal robe from home, Elsa scooped up Lilly and swayed with her as they both looked out the window and watched the orange rays of the morning sun settle on the buildings downtown. A new day it was indeed, in every sense of the word. Elsa chuckled as she could not only see the building she worked in but at least one other she'd helped design, thinking how that monumental structure pailed in comparison to the beautiful little girl she made now cuddled in her arms. In twenty four hours her life had already changed so much. Work was a distant memory and her greatest accomplishments faded into the background as her world revolved around only one thing now.

Motherhood was coming easily to her with plenty of opportunities to practice mastering the art of breastfeeding the previous night and she was already rocking, swaying, and shushing Lilly like she was her fourth baby. Most importantly she was happy, happier than she'd ever been and it was almost exciting to think of what life could hold beyond this moment. How one small person could emit such love would forever baffle her. Lilly's eyes held such life, such hope and it filled Elsa's soul with a love she never knew she was capable of. Lilly was everything she'd been missing in life. She forced Elsa to look within herself and face her fears, for one who was once afraid of her own reflection was now able to find joy in the replicated face of her angelic infant.

Lilly was also the first person since leaving Norway that Elsa could engage in a conversation with in her native language. Even if Lilly didn't talk yet she was a great listener and she awakened a dormant part of her mother that had been asleep for years. This tiny person who was their future was also a direct connection to the past for Elsa. They looked so similar that Elsa couldn't help but wonder if her parents had been this happy at her birth. Or how her father would feel if he were to see Lilly and relive that moment. Perhaps it would remind him of what was lost or what the future could hold.

Lilly nodded off to sleep and gave Elsa the luxury of eating an uninterrupted breakfast while she slept in the bassinet next to the bed. The food wasn't nearly as good as Anna's but she ate every last bite before sneaking away to curl up next to Anna, if anything because she missed her so much having spent the night in separate beds.

Finally able to press her body flush against her wife's backside, Elsa smiled against the warm skin of Anna's neck as she laid a few kisses just behind her ear, brushing her copper strands away from her face.

"Good morning sunshine," she whispered as Anna grunted and stirred. Bleary eyed and still in need of some much deserved sleep Anna clumsily rolled over and was surprised to find Elsa next to her in the dilapidated bed.

"Where's Lilly?" Anna said through a yawn as she rubbed her eyes and stretched with a groan.

"Sleeping. Like mother like daughter. I already ate but they said you could order whenever you wanted." Anna couldn't believe how alive and vibrant Elsa looked. She was dead tired herself and she wasn't even the one that had just given birth the day before.

"You look...incredibly happy. Aren't you tired?" Anna asked as she rolled over so that they were laying face to face.

"Exhausted but ecstatic. She's so adorable. I mean she sneezed earlier and it was so cute I almost died," Elsa giggled and brushed another wild strand of hair behind Anna's ear. "I love you so much. I've never been this happy, or this tired."

"I love you to. What you did...what you went through...it was _amazing_. It's funny but it's like I can never see you the same again, in a good way." Elsa giggled again as their legs and feet tangled together beneath the covers. "What time do we have to check out?" Anna questioned with a raised brow.

"It's not a hotel silly. I think we get discharged after Kristoff comes by. I can't wait to get into my own bed and be in my own home again," she groaned, flopping over onto her back as her body relaxed into the mattress.

"I should get up and take over for while. You get some rest my beautiful queen," placing a kiss on the center of Elsa's forehead and hoping off the bed, heading straight for the phone to order breakfast. It was hard enough to function being so tired but adding hunger to the mix was a recipe for disaster with Anna.

Taking her lovely wife up on her offer, Elsa curled back up into her own bed, which was a tad more comfortable than the pull out, and rested while Anna waited for breakfast to arrive.

After enjoying a delicious stack of pancakes, Anna picked up Lilly from the bassinet and sat in the rocking chair while they waited for Kristoff to make his way to their room.

Anna was lost in a euphoria as she smiled down at Lilly and was listening to the precious sound of her breathing when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Good morning," Kristoff whispered in his low voice, smile plastered on his face as his eyes fell upon a blissful Anna. She looked unbelievably happy holding Lilly in that rocking chair and was the picture of motherhood, face illuminated by a smile that was now making her cheeks ache from joy.

Not wanting to wake a sleeping baby, that was a practically a sin, Kristoff started his check in with Elsa who seemed to be in perfect shape. She'd even lost half her baby weight overnight and Anna rolled her eyes at Elsa's incredible luck when it came to her body. Not that she was complaining because after all, it was her body to enjoy in six more weeks.

At some point during Elsa's exam Lilly had woken up and the sound of Anna's high pitched cooing filled the room. Just like her mamma Lilly was given a clean bill of health and Olaf came into prep her for her first bath while Kristoff went over some things with the two new moms.

"I'll need to see Elsa back in my office in one week and Lilly will be seeing Dr. Belle Brunet, that's Bru-nay not Bru-net, in three days," eying Anna as if he automatically knew she'd be the one to mispronounce their pediatrician's name.

"Bru-nay. Got it," Anna replied with a thumbs up and click of her tongue out the side of her mouth.

"Lastly, I know the rules say no sex for six weeks and while that's my recommendation I do want to clarify that what that really means is no penetration for six weeks because that placenta spot has to heal. If you're up to it…" he stopped to and chuckled at the unlikelihood of such as thing, "...anything else is fine but give Elsa some time to decided when she's ready. Other than that you guys are clear to go home after Olaf's done showing you how to survive the first week. Congratulations again and for the love of God...don't kill each other this first week." A smiled coiled up the side of his face as all three embraced each other in a big group hug, sighing at the thought of making through this incredible journey together.

Naked as a jaybird, Lilly was over at the sink with Olaf ready for the inaugural first bath and Anna ran to get her phone to capture the whole thing. Lilly's wide blue eyes were curiously shifting about the room, having no idea what to expect but she seemed to be okay with Olaf holding her. Elsa on the other hand was already filling the role of protective mother and repeatedly reminded Olaf to be careful even though he was being as gentle as a lamb and had given thousands more baths than Elsa herself.

The sink was nice and long, specially made for the occasion, and Lilly actually seemed to be enjoying the experience even though she really didn't seem to know what to do with her arms yet as they were wandering off and around her head. Ever the caring nurse Olaf only gave her a sponge bath and just used a soft washcloth to wipe Lilly down. The new moms giggled as they watched Lilly's legs kick and jostle her pink little body around in the tub, grunting in excitement as Olaf cleaned the folds under her neck. After that was done he put a diaper back on her and swaddled Lilly nice and tight to keep her from getting cold as he ran her head under faucet to give it a thorough cleaning.

"She's got a lot of hair," Olaf remarked with a chortle.

"Have you seen Elsa's head? She has enough hair for four people," Anna teased, playfully tugging on the end of Elsa's thick braid.

Olaf continued to wash Lilly's hair and the innocent look on her face was breathtaking. Her sweet little eyes had fluttered closed and her mouth was slightly open in tranquil delight as the water gently flowed over her blonde locks. She looked so peaceful and Anna almost cried at the sheer beauty of their daughter in that blissful state.

"They like this because it reminds them of the womb, that warm water feeling," Olaf murmured as he moved Lilly around to let every inch of her head enjoy the soothing sensation.

Elsa's heart warmed and she smiled knowing that she must have made Lilly feel like when she was in her womb.

Finished with her bath, Olaf dried off Lilly's head and they all gasped at the heavenly shine radiating from her downy platinum hair. It was like sunshine on a glorious summer afternoon, paired perfectly with her ruby lips and light dusting of pink on her cheeks.

Next, it was time for everyone to get ready to go home and Anna went to get the car seat from the valet while Elsa changed and sorted through some of the clothing options for Lilly to go home in. There had been so much pink and green going on in the nursery that Elsa was relieved to find purple footed jammies in the hospital bag. Anna was having yet another surreal moment while carrying up the car seat she'd been staring at for weeks knowing that a real live baby was actually going to be using it.

Back in the room Elsa was having similar feelings as she slipped the jammies over Lilly's wiggly arms and legs, still trying to comprehend that the baby they'd longed for was finally here. With a final zip of the jammies Elsa held Lilly up to admire the how well the color looked on her, having a brief flashback to her childhood room of the same lavender hue. Shaking the thought from her head she reminded herself, _A new life and a new beginning._ She'd just been through the most joyous experience and getting hung up on her past only took away from the future staring right back at her with those sapphire eyes.

"Hei lille venne (Hi little one). Du ser så søt (You look so cute). Yes you do. Yes you do." Every vowel sound had to be elongated and the end of each word had to hit an ear piercing height but Elsa was beguiled with being a mom.

Anna returned with the car seat and while they all pitched in to get their little wiggle worm strapped into the seat, Elsa took a moment to glance around the room and leave behind an experience that felt like it had come and gone too soon. The in vitro, pregnancy, and birth were now all behind them and she could hardly believe they were about to bring their baby home and start the next chapter of their lives.

All packed and ready to go, Olaf brought in the mandatory wheelchair for Elsa as Anna carried Lilly in the car seat out to the Highlander. The sparkling white SUV whipped around the valet circle and they both hugged Olaf goodbye and thanked him for everything but not before shedding a few tears of gratitude to the kind male nurse who had saved their most special day.

The click of the car seat securing to base brought a smile to Anna's face and she knew Merida would be so proud that she got it on the first try. One by one everyone piled into the car.

"Please let's not take the freeway and if I see anything over 35 I'm going to have a heart attack," Elsa commanded as she buckled her seatbelt over her smaller belly.

"I got it, I got it. It may take us an hour to get home but we'll all get there eventually. How's Lilly doing?"

Elsa glanced down at a happy and perky Lilly, tongue poking in and out of her mouth as she continued to figure out how it worked.

"She's perfect. Aren't you cutie pie?" Elsa cooed. "Oh and Anna," red hair flipping back to face Elsa. "Congratdulations. You officially have a baby on board and we are now in an official mommy car."

Elsa had never seen her precious wife smile so big in her life. They were all so happy and was everything was positively poetic in that one moment as Anna pulled the car out of the valet circle and headed home on their first drive as a family.

* * *

The poetic moment came to a grinding halt when Lilly started crying halfway home and Elsa frantically tried to help persuade Lilly to take a pacifier but she kept spitting it out. By the time they pulled in the driveway Lilly's face was beet red and both moms' hearts were racing as the crying only boosted their adrenaline.

They hadn't been home for even five minutes and they were already breaking in the nursery. First Lilly needed to be changed, which Anna handled, while Elsa gathered everything she needed to nurse Lilly in the glider. With a clean tush and a fresh diaper, Anna passed her off to Elsa who immediately started to nurse Lilly and the frantic crying stopped; replaced by loud gulping sounds coming from their famished baby.

"You know what? We forgot to feed her before we left the hospital and now she's probably beyond starving. Olaf said once she starts crying that means we've missed the hunger cues." Anna cringed at their first of what she was sure would be many parenting mistakes to come.

"I noticed she was sticking her tongue out in the car but I thought she'd make it until we got home," Elsa said as Lilly continued to chug down gulp after gulp.

"Poor Lilly. Only one day old and we've managed to starve you already," Anna said half joking.

After about five minutes Lilly started to slow down and pulled off to grunt a little bit, causing Elsa's eyebrows to scrunch together as she tried to figure out what was wrong.

"Er du ok? (Are you okay)" she asked. Lilly was still whimpering and Elsa figured she just ate too much too fast and probably needed to be burped. Swinging a brand new burp cloth over her shoulder, Elsa lifted Lilly up onto the cloth and gently patted her back.

"Bedre? (Better)" more frantic this time as Lilly was still straining little cries. One more forceful pat on the back and Lilly unloaded an entire breastful of milk all over Elsa's back and shoulder. Her eyes shot open at the sound of splattering milk and the feeling of wetness began creeping into her shirt.

 _Oh my God!_

"Anna! Come here now please!" Covered in warm milk with a crying baby, Elsa shot up from the chair, bouncing her knees and calming Lilly with a string of soft shushes.

Anna pounded her way back up the stairs and was jaw dropped to find chunky white liquid all down Elsa's back and even on the side of her face.

"I think she spit up on me," her face pinched with her lips turned down into a frown.

"You think?" Anna teased sarcastically, grabbing a towel from under the changing table to clean them off.

"It's in my hair isn't it? Yuck. I can feel it running down my back," now whining like a child as Anna lifted the soaking braid and surveyed the damage. Astoundingly not a drop had landed on Lilly but Elsa had taken the brunt of the blow, most the spit up coating her braid and the back of her t-shirt and Anna decided a towel just wasn't going to get it.

"Okay here. Give me Lilly and you go take a shower. I'll take care of this," circling a hand in the air around the mess and was proud of herself for remaining so calm.

"Thank you." Elsa leaned in to give Anna a kiss when her teal eyes shot open and she pulled back with haste.

"Whoa, I love you but you have it on your mouth too. And you smell like blue cheese," Anna said trying to hide the grossed out look plastered on her face.

Anna was able to soothe Lilly with a lullaby while Elsa took a shower, feeling much more refreshed now that she had half-digested breast milk out of her hair.

As the day went on the laundry stacked higher as the two learned the ins and outs of changing and nursing a newborn without getting peed or spit up on. There was a lot to learn in the coming days and the reality of life with a baby started to set in.

* * *

By the end of the first week things were starting to gel and Lilly was falling nicely into a daily routine of eat, sleep, play. Elsa's milk had finished coming in, and her enormous breasts had settled and the engorgement phase wound down. Nighttime was becoming a little easier now that Lilly was sleeping up to five hours in her first stretch and three hours in her second, giving her mommies at least five solid hours which felt like a miracle each night it happened.

They'd even established a daily walk around the neighborhood and had been on a few outings to run some errands. Everywhere they went people stopped to tell them how beautiful Lilly was and how wonderful Elsa looked after just giving birth. It was pretty easy to tell who at least one of Lilly's mommies was and Elsa did all she could to emphasises that Anna was equally her mom as well. It didn't bother Anna at first but as the days went on and more people gave Elsa all the attention it started to wear on her and she felt like a third wheel in her own family, even though she loved having two blonde beauties.

That night after putting Lilly down to sleep in the bassinet Anna pulled Elsa into the next door guest bedroom to have a heart to heart.

"What's wrong?" Without saying a word Elsa knew her wife well enough to know something was eating at her.

"I want to say something but I don't want you to take it the wrong way. First, I love love love everything about Lilly and the fact that she's...yours. But I'm starting to feel like people don't think she's mine because they can obviously see you two look alike and they don't know we're a couple." Anna's hand flew up in a defeated gesture and her bottom lip puffed out in frustration.

"Anna, she's not _mine_. She's _ours_. Don't ever say that. You love her as your own because she is. We can't help what people are going to say but you know in your heart that you are her mom just as much as I am. We all have the same last name. She clearly has your personality and I'm still trying to figure out how that happened. She's a product of the love between you and I. Conventional conception or not. And next baby we'll use only your egg. That was always the plan right? First and last baby would be left up to chance with the middle one or two being opposite of the first child," Elsa clarified with a rested a hand on side of Anna's upper arm, a look of concern falling across her weary face.

"I know all that. I don't love her any less or think of her any less than my blood daughter. It's just hard when people think I'm your friend or something." Elsa's eyes shifted to the floor as she thought of a way to give Anna the recognition she deserved.

"Well why don't you take Lilly out by yourself for a walk tomorrow. Put the baby carrier on and take her to where people will be like the mall or something. If I'm not there then people will give you the credit you deserve." Anna mulled the idea over in her mind and agreed it was a pretty good, though it was kind of sad that the solution was basically to leave Elsa behind.

"What will you do while we're gone?"

"Probably sleep and pump more breast milk. And that's the other thing. You could give her a bottle while you're out, then you'd get to feed her too." Anna's eyes perked up at Elsa's suggestion. Lilly had been great about taking a bottle but Anna had only been able to feed her once since she was born, leaving her to diaper duty and bathing mostly.

"We're not the majority and people are always going to assume whatever they want. We know the truth and we're a family. We went through this when we got married and people would ask us if it was legal," Elsa reminded. People were always so nosey about their marriage and the details of their family planning. As if being lesbians made them some social mystery people could never wrap their minds around.

"But it is," Anna replied, slightly confused.

"And what if wasn't? I wouldn't love you or think of you as my wife any less." Taking a few steps closer Elsa pulled Anna into her arms and kissed her just beneath her ruffled bangs.

"Tomorrow, just go to the mall you and her. You deserve to have every bit of attention as her mother and I know you need this. I'll be fine so don't worry about me. I love you. I want you happy," she said softly and tightened their embrace, bringing a smile to Anna's face as she now couldn't wait for her and Lilly's big trip the mall.

* * *

Going to the mall just the two of them seemed like a terrific idea until Anna had to get the stroller and diaper bag set up all by herself. By the time she unfolded it and strapped the diaper bag to it she was already working up a sweat. She was continually blown away that they needed an entire SUV to haul all the baby gear when the actual baby herself only took up a microscopic percentage of the car space. Thankfully the car seat just slipped easily into the stroller and all that was left to do was strap Lilly into the baby carrier so that all eyes could be on Anna and baby.

She didn't realize how empty the mall would be in the middle of the week but never the less she was determined to have someone acknowledge her as the mother of her child.

As they began to wander around the mall to no place in particular Lilly began to fuss as the closeness to Anna was overheating her.

 _Of course you're hot. Look whose genetics you have._

The beanie, socks, and cardigan may have been cute but they had to go as Lilly was turning a bright shade of strawberry red. After shedding some of the extra clothing Anna tried to bounce and sway Lilly, singing a song of _it's okay...it's okay_ to calm her flustered baby. The swaying worked like a charm and Anna popped a pacifier in her mouth just for good measure. Low and behold a little old lady had been watching the whole thing from a distance and made her way towards the pair with a cheeky smile on her wrinkly face.

"Oh my word! What a beautiful baby," the old woman squealed.

"Who me?" looking over her shoulder as if there was some other woman with a baby attached to her torso. "Thank you," Anna replied graciously. Now it was her turning red and blushing, nervously tucking a strand of copper hair behind her ear as the old woman crept closer to get a better look at Lilly.

"What's her name dear?"

"Oh uh...Lilly. It's short for Lillian," she said shyly, though her confidence was starting to build.

"What a _beautiful_ name. She looks like a Lillian," the woman beamed, making cutsie faces at Lilly.

Anna felt like her heart was going to fly out her chest that very moment and thought she may never leave the house with Elsa again. Not only was Anna getting some attention as a mom but the woman had just complimented her mother's name. It was also the first time Anna got to share that information with a curious onlooker and it felt really good, like she was honoring her mother by uttering that very sentence.

"Thank you. It was my mother's name," Anna said proudly, straightening her back and standing a little taller.

"She must be so honored."

Anna was suddenly so moved that she could only smile and hold Lilly tighter against her. This was exactly the interaction she was looking for. There was no one saying how much Lilly looked like Elsa or asking Elsa a hundred questions about her pregnancy and delivery. Anna was the star of this show and she was loving every minute.

"Well just remember. The first three months are always the hardest but enjoy the baby. It's going to go by like that," snapping a finger in front of Anna's freckled nose and making Lilly jump at the sound as she sucked faster on the pacifier.

"Thank you, I will." The old woman carried on about her business and Anna scurried away as she giggled mirthfully to herself.

"Did you see that Lilly? You're like people bait. They just can't help themselves when you walk into a room. I know because your mommy did the same thing to me the first time I saw her.

Anna continued to stroll around the mall and engaged every random person that stopped to comment on her pride and joy. The more people she talked to the more at ease she became and she was even able to pick up some great tips from people who had already been in her shoes once or twice.

When Lilly started to make little smacking noises with her mouth Anna went to the family room at the mall to feed Lilly. It was nice to have a quiet space devoted to kids and families instead of having to feed Lilly in the middle of the noisy mall on an uncomfortable bench. Remembering every word Elsa told her about how to feed Lilly, she warmed the bottle of pumped breast milk under some lukewarm water and made herself comfy in one of the lounge chairs.

"Who's hungry? I've got a nice bottle all ready for you sweetie pie," Anna cooed enchantingly as she unstrapped Lilly and the baby carrier from around her body. As soon she popped the bottle into Lilly's mouth she started sucking down the milk and Anna breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Everything she'd ever done with Lilly up until this point had been great but this...feeding her was the best yet. Nestled safely in her arms she could feel Lilly's heat radiating from her tiny body as her big blue eyes looked peacefully into Anna's, like there was this unspoken bond strengthening right before her very eyes.

 _This is amazing._

Lilly never looked away from Anna's eyes the entire time she was feeding from the bottle and Anna never stopped smiling.

"Hi pretty girl. You were hungry huh? All that talking to strangers really worked up an appetite." Anna laughed to herself and let the moment take over. She still couldn't get over how this little girl, the one she'd talked to and played with through Elsa's uterus, was now in her arms, changing everything Anna thought she ever knew about life. She loved Lilly so much that it was almost like a piece of her heart was living outside her. She rolled her eyes and laughed at how she could have ever let other people's opinions or lack there of make her feel any less of a mother. This whole experience had taught her that while it was nice to get recognition from others, the only confirmation she needed that she was Lilly's mom was right on front of her in those sparkling blue eyes.

Before they left Anna stopped off to buy Elsa a few more nursing bras at the department store and she noticed a rather attractive negligee that caught her eye. It was _really_ pretty and she could already see herself wearing it for Elsa, in the future at least. They'd eventually have sex again at some point and it wouldn't be a totally wasteful purchase. There was probably some sort of social construct against buying lingerie with a newborn strapped to one's chest but Anna didn't care. She was gonna buy that little honey and tuck it away in her drawer for a special occasion, giving her something to look forward to during the long weeks of no sleep or sex ahead of her.

"It's a good thing you can't talk yet Lilly. Otherwise you'd tell mommy I bought naughty lingerie while I was supposed to be buying her nursing bras. We make great partners in crime you and I."

Elsa's ears must have been burning because at that very moment Anna's phone vibrated with a text from her.

 _Come home please. My boobs hurt and I miss you two._

"Alrighty Lil. Time to head home. Remember, we don't tell mommy about what I bought."

* * *

"Mommy! We're home!" The words didn't even leave Anna's lips before Elsa was scampering down the stairs at light speed, the fastest she'd moved since she got pregnant, and took Lilly into her arms.

"Lilly! Jeg har savnet deg (I missed you)," she exclaimed, clutching Lilly's tiny body tightly against her as she smothered her with kisses.

"English please," Anna bemoaned as she set the diaper bag down on the floor with a thud. She normally didn't mind all the Norwegian but on a day where she was trying not to feel like a third wheel the language barrier wasn't helping.

"Sorry. I didn't know it bothered you," Elsa replied apologetically, looking a bit startled by Anna's reaction.

"Well first of all it sounded like you said _I wish I would die_ …" Elsa broke into laughter as she hadn't said anything close but understood what Anna meant. Die and deg sounded very similar. "Also I mean...I'm never going to understand what you're saying if you only speak to her in Norwegian. Especially in front me. I like hearing it but almost every word to her has been in Norwegian." The room got oddly uncomfortable when Elsa's mouth pressed into a line and the rest of her face went deadpan as she stopped swaying Lilly.

"I'm sorry I can't help it comes naturally. I won't speak in Norwegian in front you then if it bothers you." A hint of sadness glinted behind her cerulean eyes and Elsa was trying to hide her face by tucking it next to Lilly, giving her little kisses on the side of her head.

"That would be nice." The statement came out sounding like a question and Anna wasn't exactly sure what she'd done but she knew she'd done something to upset Elsa.

"I should feed her," Elsa said softly and gave a meek smile before heading upstairs to the nursery, not uttering a single word to Lilly the entire time as she found herself tongue tied between two languages.

Anna heaved a sigh, noting how downhill everything had gone in a matter of minutes, and went upstairs to put the shopping bags away in their closet.

When Anna was done she rounded the doorway of the nursery and peered in unnoticed, finding Elsa quietly wiping away tears as she nursed Lilly. Mad at herself for even saying anything Anna waited until they were finished and Elsa laid Lilly down in her crib for a nap before pulling her into the bedroom to talk. Elsa followed reluctantly and couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face.

"I said something wrong didn't I?" Anna asked remorsefully, holding Elsa's hand in her own as they stood in the open space of the room.

"No, I understand why you would want me to speak English in front of you. It makes perfect sense actually."

"Then why are you crying?" reaching up to brush a falling tear away from her pale freckles.

"I'm a little extra sensitive with all the hormones and changes I guess but I haven't had anyone to speak to in my own language in a long time. And even though she doesn't talk back I feel like I'm reconnecting with a part of myself that I thought I'd lost. To say all the things to my baby that no one ever said to me...feels so good. Healing even. And knowing that I'll be able to talk to her and have conversations with her in Norwegian is something I never thought about before and it's exciting. And I feel like you're trying to take that away from me," Elsa sobbed, even harder at her last statement and Anna helped her sit on the edge of the bed.

"No, no. I...I don't want to take _anything_ from you. I want her to be bilingual and I want you two to be able to talk to each other. I just don't know how I fit into the picture. I don't speak Norwegian and you have to understand where I'm coming from. Also, I'm sure you're saying all these wonderful things to her and I can't understand what you're saying. I want to hear you talk to our daughter because I love this maternal side of you. You are _such_ a good mom. You are more loving and caring than I've ever seen before and it brings out this amazing side of you. You would put your parents to shame, you know that?"

A blonde curtain of hair draped around Elsa's tear stained face as she nodded and bowed her head, arms crossed around her body in the classic pose Anna dreaded most.

"Can we just make an agreement to keep it at least 80% English when the three of us are together?"

"That's fair. I didn't realize I was doing it so much but I'll try to use English more around you."

Anna took Elsa's face between her hands. She looked tired with puffy eyes lined with dark circles. Anna didn't realize how having a baby could be even more tiring than pregnancy for Elsa. Somehow she thought it would be less taxing on her body.

"I don't want you to give up anything," she said softly, kissing Elsa's forehead and the swooping curve at the bridge of her nose. "I love you and I want Lilly to embrace as much of you and your culture as you want her to. There's a lot of things we're going to have to work out. A lot of unforeseen things. We can do this. I mean we survived a whole week. We should be celebrating," Anna said as her face lit up and made Elsa chuckle.

"You're right. Just...go easy on me. I'm finding that I'm a little more emotional than when I was pregnant. And with the broken sleep I'm just more on edge than normal," Elsa admitted with a hint of guilt.

"I promise. Easy does it."


	35. Chapter 35

Week two had been a breeze compared to week one being that Lilly didn't do much outside of eat, sleep, and needing her diaper changed and the new moms had adjusted to the rigors of motherhood quite easily. However things took a turn during the third week when Lilly had a bit of a developmental spurt and became much more alert, needing more attention and causing her mothers to run around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to calm the fits of fussiness.

The lack of sleep and feeding an infant every two hours was slowly draining Elsa and she was having the worst case of forgetfulness and baby brain that cropped up at all the wrong times. It also didn't help that she had broccoli with dinner one evening and it unknowingly seeped into her breasts milk, upsetting Lilly's tummy so badly that they spent the entire night consoling her as she wailed into the wee hours of the morning.

On the way home from the grocery store Lilly had wet her diaper and was wailing to no end from the back seat. Unable to take any more, Anna pulled over to have Elsa change Lilly in the back and give their aching ears a break. As if things couldn't get worse Elsa had forgotten to reload the diaper bag with size one diapers and had to strap Lilly into a now too tight newborn diaper, which made her wail even harder as the lining around the legs looked more like a tourniquet than a diaper. And to complete the event Elsa also forgot to pack the pacifier and had to sit in the back seat with her pinky finger stuffed inside Lilly's mouth as a makeshift replacement, hearing it from Anna the entire way home about how she'd made a blunder of everything.

The ragged family of three burst through the door, leaving the groceries in car, as Lilly's five alarm crying continued to rage on.

"I'll change her. You find the pacifier you _conveniently_ forgot," Anna snapped as she unbuckled Lilly from the car seat and headed straight for the nursery. Had Elsa not been distracted by the surge of cortisol coursing through her veins she would have called Anna on that snippy little remark. They were both just wearing too thin to be even cordial to each other the past week and now were at each other's throats.

As Lilly continued to cry and fuss on the changing table, Elsa suddenly remembered that she'd left the pacifier in the downstairs bathroom and was in the nursery quicker than lightning with it clutched in her hands.

"Here, here, here. Mommy found it," she shushed calmingly to Lilly, coaxing the pacifier into her little mouth. Lilly latched on in a heartbeat and soon she was sucking her way into a deep sleep, tuckered and red as a tomato from all the crying. Now that Lilly was adequately soothed Anna could keep her limbs still enough to tightly swaddle her into a muslin blanket and sway her deeper into dreamland.

"God Elsa, you can't just leave it around the house like that. Think faster next time," Anna snapped again, probably another result of running on less than three hours of sleep but it hit Elsa in the chest like an arrow. Here she was, still on the tail end of recovering from the delivery, trying her best and Anna had the nerve to suggest she wasn't doing well enough. As if Anna had been gifted with some sort of baby-whisperer knowledge that Elsa's didn't possess.

Her sapphire eyes flickered once more to meet Anna's, trying to fathom how she could deliver blow after blow and not realize how it was breaking her. Tears welled up in those saddened blue eyes and Anna knew she'd gone too far but it was already too late. She cautiously took a step forward, attempting to apologize when Elsa pressed a delicate hand to her mouth and flew out of the room as more tears poured down her face.

Anna could hear the sobbing and sharp gasps getting further away and she shamefully stood in the nursery with Lilly still cradled in her arms, cursing herself for being so cruel. With a deep sigh of regret she placed Lilly gently in the crib and grabbed the baby monitor as she went to find Elsa. She followed the sound of muffled sniffles into their bedroom where she found her curled up on the bed with her hair splayed out over the pillow like a shiny blonde blanket; chest heaving shallow breaths and Anna could tell she was crying pretty hard.

"Elsa. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have _never_ said that, especially that way. I'm just really tired and I think that was more from the lack of sleep than anything," Anna apologized softly as she climbed on top of the bed and slid up next to Elsa, pulling back her long strands of golden hair to better see her face. It was bright red and the poor thing was clutching a crumpled up tissue against her mouth, unable to stop the river of emotion from flowing out of her.

"You d-don't think I'm t-tired?" she gasped between cries, trying to slow her breathing but it only made her body jolt with the force of her sobs. "I just had a baby...and I'm sore and still bleeding if you didn't know. And I'm sleeping just as much as you," she continued.

"I know. I really don't have any ground to stand on here. I'm sorry I snapped. What more can I say to make you feel better?" she asked with a pained expression. She really hadn't meant to hurt her this bad and it was tearing her up to see her like this.

As the thoughts raced through Elsa's mind she was able to string a few of them together, engaging her brain long enough to mellow a bit. Wiping her eyes and swollen red nose with the tissue, Elsa sat up and turned to face Anna before she unloaded on her.

"First of all, is she sleeping?" No matter what Anna said, Lilly was Elsa's primary concern and she wasn't about to let her be subjected to her parent's arguing a few doors down.

"Yes. I have the monitor," Anna added, holding it up to show Elsa.

"Then I want to have to an honest moment. First…" and she had to take a deep breath to handle the string of emotions attached to the statement she was about to make, "I feel like ever since...well maybe even just before Lilly was born...that as your wife I've faded into the distance and become this thing that was solely your vehicle to getting a baby."

Now Anna felt an arrow in her heart. "What?" she said with an enormous eye roll, so much so she probably saw the branching capillaries at the back of her sockets.

"You were so sweet and so loving to me the last trimester and right when we left the hospital that all stopped. You've been nothing but short with me, telling me... _reminding_ me of how I'm not good enough for my own daughter. How I'm doing everything wrong when all I'm trying to do is my best." A few more tears escaped and Anna was deadpanned, utterly stunned by Elsa's accusations. Closing her gaped mouth, she swallowed thickly and tried to even think of a way to respond to that without causing more damage.

"Elsa...I" Anna started.

"Can you even imagine what it's like for me? To have you criticize my every move when you know my sole goal in life is to be what no one ever was to me. I've been verbally abused and threatened for more than half my life and I will die trying to be something different, something I guess no matter how hard I try to attain will never be as good as you. I really don't want to say this but you've pushed me so far I can't help it. You act like you're this natural born mother, which I admit you are, but that doesn't mean I'm not. I carried her from the moment she was a four day old embryo until birth. I spent every minute with her and I know her _very_ well. You have a special bond with her but so do I and I can take care of her without you in my ear telling me how inadequate I am."

"You don't think I know that? You two will share an entire language together that I will never be able to share with. Not in the same way you two will."

"Which you won't even let me do now _either_. I have to censor myself all the time which is ridiculous because you were the one who encouraged me to embrace my past and my culture to begin with."

"Because I don't understand Elsa. I don't know what you're saying!"

"Then why don't you let me teach you!" Elsa shook her head at the volume the conversation had reached as Anna stared at her and furrowed her brows until they made little parenthesis between them.

"Wait, teach me?" Anna replied dumbfounded.

"Yeah. Instead of feeling so left out why can't you let me include you?" Her voice had completely lost that sharp edge and was back to its softer timbre, nearly pleading with Anna.

"I-I didn't think you'd want to take the time. And also, remember when we were first dating and I asked you to say stuff in Norwegian and you never would. I mean geez, I could have had seven years of lessons under my belt but that never happened. Also, I'm not like you. I don't know a bunch of languages and I can barely handle English sometimes," Anna huffed.

"It's not hard. It's Germanic. Same as English. And…it's my fault for not teaching you sooner but I honestly never thought it would become a part of our lives. I blocked it along with everything else out long before you ever came along. I mean sometimes it's true what they say, having a baby changes everything. But we're here now and it's either me teach you or you continue to be left out because while I understand your point, this is the best solution for all of us." Anna thought the idea over in her already crowded head as Elsa swiped another tissue from the nightstand and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

"If you'd let me I could teach you. I'd love to even. But you have to stop being so anxious about everything. First you felt you weren't getting enough attention as a mom and then you've been so critical and...I don't know what's going on with you," bewilderedly throwing her hands up as the tissue became airborne and tumbled to the ground.

"I'm sorry...so sorry that I've been so critical and I didn't realize it until now but it's just because I'm also trying to do what's best and it's frustrating sometimes. I care about Lilly too."

"And you and I are also still married and there is still a marriage to preserve here. I know that Lilly is our world now but I'm still a part of yours. I love you and I want to keep what we had going. And I certainly don't want to lose it on account of having a baby. Just be easier on me. If not because you love me then for Lilly because if this keeps up I am going to end up with postpartum depression."

An air of seriousness shrouded Anna's face. "I don't want that to happen. I'm sorry. I'll be easier on you. I won't say anything except for how great you're doing. I don't want you to hurt like this."

Frowning at Elsa's tear stained cheeks, Anna grasped the sides of her arms and pulled Elsa into a tight hug. She didn't hug back but instead went limp into Anna's embrace, allowing herself to be held and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"I do love you, you know that. Having a baby is a blessing but it's not easy. We're still figuring things out and trying to come up with a routine. Your body is working overtime to heal and make enough milk to feed a baby for what must feel like a million times a day." Elsa couldn't help but laugh a little at that and her sore nipples couldn't argue either. "You forgive me?" Anna asked with puppy dog eyes. That was never an easy word for Elsa but she always forgave Anna, even if she couldn't say it and simply nodded her head before pulling away.

"I need you. Not just for this but for the other things you wouldn't let me talk about before Lilly came." For some reason Anna felt a chill and she instinctively knew exactly what Elsa was getting at.

"You mean your father?"

"Of course I mean my father. This is a huge thing I'm dealing with and you're the one person I can talk to about it. I'm confused and I'm scared and I need you to help me or just listen but...you haven't. Just understand for a moment that I haven't talked to father in seven years since he told me to leave and never come back. And then out of the blue he calls me, knowing I'm pregnant and married and wanting to see me. And you and Lilly." Elsa's head suddenly felt too heavy and she let it go slack, staring at the duvet as Anna tried to put herself in Elsa's shoes. She'd never faced anything like this herself and honestly couldn't imagine what she felt like but knew it must be one of the scariest things she'd ever done next to giving birth.

"I'm going to tell him to come but I'm going to meet with him first, alone. But I can't show up to that dinner without your help. You just asked me to forgive you, my loving beautiful wife and I can't even say it because of what I've been through. What if he asks me to forgive him? He's dying. This could be his last chance to end his life with a clear consciousness and nothing more."

Thinking long and hard about her answer, Anna breathed a pensive sigh and wet her lips before offering up her one pearl of wisdom she learned from one of her hardest times.

"No matter the reason, if he asks you to forgive him only you have to power to do so. Remember when the truck driver that hit my parents asked for my forgiveness, even though it was also due to black ice? I didn't want to feel like I was saying what happened was okay but I needed to for both our sakes. What I mean is, by forgiving him you're not saying that what he did was justified or right and it doesn't mean you'll ever forget. What it should mean is that you refuse to let him and what he did to you to have power over your life any longer. Forgiving sets you free from yourself and it's not something easily done."

Elsa didn't say a word and instead let her eyes remain stationary on the constant nervous rubbing she was doing with her hands, gliding a thumb up throuh the center of her palm and she tried to fathom how she would be able to last for an entire dinner with her father after so many years, after so many unspoken feelings had bubbled to the surface.

"When exactly is he coming?" Anna asked quietly.

"He said at the end of September but I'm not exactly sure. I didn't want to ask for specifics at the time because I wanted to think about it. Now that I know I'm going to have to call him. With the caller ID block on," she said with a roll of her eyes. She wasn't going to make that mistake twice.

"Well I'm here if you need to talk but you also need to let me know. I can't read your mind and I'm tired too. But I do want you to know that I'm so proud of you for doing this. It's not easy, at all and I think you're so brave to face this head on." The two shared a smile as Anna came towards Elsa and kissed her on the forehead, leaving her with her thoughts while she went to check on Lilly.

* * *

A week later it was tummy time at the Arendelle house and Lilly was face down on a giant pink and white baby blanket trying to engage her never been used muscles to look up at the wide eyed mommies grinning back at her.

"Come oooooon. You can do it," Anna chirped, watching Lilly's body shake and wobble as she tried to lift that pumpkin head of hers up off the floor.

"Go Lilly go!" both moms cheered as the shaky blonde head rose higher until those big blue eyes were looking right back at them with a drooley opened mouth. Muscles flexed in flits of strength as Lilly emulated a bobble head and tried to remain upright for more than a second.

"Good job baby girl!" Elsa squealed as her and Anna both lightly clapped their hands at Lilly's accomplishment. "Look at you holding your head up all by yourself." Lilly's eyes shifted back to Elsa's and she could have sworn those tiny lips were threatening to curl into a smile, only Lilly didn't quite know how yet so she just made gurgly baby grunts to show her excitement. As quickly as her head had popped up it fell back to the ground and Lilly face planted against the blanket.

"Oh no. Baby down. Baby down." Seeing her baby was now depleted of energy from having put on a show for her mommies, Anna scooped up Lilly and they showered her with kisses; sandwiching her face between two giant mommy kisses on each cheek. It was almost a dare to see who could pull away first, both planting kiss after kiss on those adorable chubby cheeks. Every coo of _ah_ and _ooh_ only rewarded Lilly with more kisses.

Anna smiled down at Lilly as she held her in her arms and booped her lovingly on the nose. "You are so strong baby girl," smiling even wider at Lilly as her little mouth stretched to let out a baby sized yawn, garnering more _awwws_ from her mommies.

"I think somebody's ready for a nap." Lilly fought hard to keep her eyes fixed on Anna's overly expressive face but her eyelids quickly became too heavy, fluttering as she tried to keep them open.

"She looks like you when she does that. You two have the same eyelash bat. And you both drive me crazy with it. In a good way," Anna added, admiring how Elsa and Lilly had lashes that perfectly framed their eyes and fanned out so elegantly when they blinked.

* * *

The house had quieted down now that naptime was well underway. With Lilly peacefully sound asleep in her crib the two tuckered moms retreated to their bedroom to take a quick cat nap. Elsa carefully lifted herself onto the bed and lay down on her back, still loving that she could do so again, while Anna did a belly flop onto her side and groaned with exhaustion into the pillow.

"You got the baby monitor right?" Elsa asked.

"Yup," Anna replied into the pillow, pointing to the portable monitor over on the nightstand without so much as lifting her head.

A lot had changed in a week and Anna was more aware of her comments towards Elsa and the two of them seemed to be adjusting to things in stride now. Although they were both tired, Elsa couldn't resist the opportunity to snuggle with her adorable redhead.

"Why are you way over there? Come cuddle with me," Elsa pleaded lovingly as she reached out and lightly tickled Anna's arm.

Groggy but still wanting cuddles, Anna sluggishly inched her way over to Elsa and curled up against the side of her body, tucking her head under Elsa's chin as she hummed a content sigh and breathed in Elsa's fragrant scent. It felt incredibly good to be so physically close to Elsa again, letting their torsos press against each other as Anna's lips brush against the nape of Elsa's slender neck. Her blonde hair was tangled and she barely had any make up on but Anna found her beautiful just the same. Brushes quickly turned into soft kisses as Anna worked her way up and along Elsa's jawline before pulling back to share a warm smile.

"Do you remember? På norsk? (In Norwegian)" Elsa asked pointing to the freckled tip of Anna's nose. She had spent the week putting Anna on the fast track to learning Norwegian and was surprised to find she was picking it up rather quickly. Anna needed some help on the pronunciation but Elsa was sure she'd perfect it over time.

Anna squinted her eyes and thought for a moment. "Nese," she replied questioningly.

" _Very good_ ," Elsa purred, rewarding Anna with a small kiss on the very spot she'd named correctly.

"Og dette? (And this)" softly smoothing her thumb over the bowed lines of Anna's sweet lips.

 _Lips, lips, lips…_

"Lepper," slightly fumbling the pronunciation but it was close enough.

"Mhmm." A smile played across Elsa's lips as she closed the short distance between them and kissed those soft pink lips ever so gently. Anna knew this one too. Bonus of a Germanic language was that some words were extremely similar to English and required less memorization.

"Kyss," Anna beamed proudly, both smiling as their lips met again for an even deeper kiss. Anna was not only learning Norwegian but also learning that love could feel the same in any language. Even just saying those words made her feel that familiar rush of warmth flood her lips and sizzle all the way down the length of her nimble frame. Elsa had spent seven years loving Anna in her language; now she could return the favor. Every word that escaped from Elsa's beautiful lips was exotic and entrancing. The roll of her r's, the lilt of the vowels as she wrapped her lips around each word made Anna's heart skip a beat, as if Elsa couldn't get any sexier.

Letting herself get carried away Anna began to lay hot wet kisses down the length of Elsa's neck, continuing to show off her Nordic vernacular.

"Nakke (neck)," Anna breathed against the hollow dip near Elsa's throat, feeling her breath flowing effortlessly beneath the translucent skin as she proceeded to name each body part her lips came into contact with, noticing how it made Elsa's breath hitch and shutter in arousal.

"Anna…"

Her lips ventured further down to the blonde's heaving sternum before licking the space between her breasts with a flick of her tongue. "Bryst," the word ghosting against her wet skin like the swelter of a hot summer night.

"What are you doing?" Elsa asked shyly, running a weary hand through Anna's ruffled bangs.

"I can't help myself. It's been almost two months of no sex and this is first time I've got to cuddle with you without falling asleep in forever." Driven by her impulses, Anna swung a leg over cowgirl style and straddled Elsa's hips, leaning over to nuzzle herself between that flaxen hair and the sensitive spot just below Elsa's ear. Gentle kisses exchanged with soft nips and when Elsa jumped a little it made their pelvises press together in a way that made Anna moan a pleasant _ohhh_ in response. Even more turned on, Anna crashed her lips against Elsa's when the blonde threw her hands up and stopped her.

" _Wait_. I don't know if I'm ready for this," face tensing and flushing as Elsa's eyes began to dart nervously around the room. It had only been a month since Lilly was born and Elsa knew they were nearing that six week point to have sex free and clear but her body had been through so many changes that she couldn't help but feel self-conscious about making love with Anna and being so vulnerable so soon. Her stomach wasn't back to its toned and muscular pre baby form yet and she just wasn't feeling attractive or sexy, though Anna would beg to differ.

"We don't have to have sex. I just want to be near you. I haven't been able to be this close to you in so long. I've missed it." Anna had now trekked her way down Elsa's neck and was again kissing a line straight down in between her mountainous breasts. "Can we just...I don't know...lay together a little? _Naked_ even...maybe. No pressure," she muffled through the neck of Elsa's shirt.

Glancing down at her body Elsa cringed a little and wished she didn't feel so frumpy. "It's just...I don't feel sexy. I feel... _disjointed_." Anna giggled mid kiss and brought herself up to a sitting position over Elsa's slender hips, letting her gaze fall on the blonde's tightening face.

"Well you don't look _disjointed._ I know you're tired and your body is still putting itself back together, not to mention having to pull out a breast every two hours to nurse but to me...you look more beautiful with each passing day. And you know me. Every day I have to hold out on sex is a day I want you more. And despite how you feel, your body has bounced back really quickly. You're one of those women who were just meant to have babies because you can hardly tell you've even had one." Finally she got a smile out of Elsa, even though she quickly hid it by biting on her bottom lip the second it curled up. Elsa's shy demeanor was only making her more desirable to Anna and Elsa couldn't deny that she too had been wanting to be close with her wife again, just to feel her against her once more.

Without saying a word Elsa lifted Anna's shirt off and quickly unclasped her bra, knowing they probably didn't have much time before Lilly woke up or she talked herself out of the whole thing. Exposed and looking ever so cute with her copper braids trailing down the side of each breast, Elsa pulled Anna closer and captured one of the pert rose-tipped nipples between her lips, whipping her tongue around until it formed a stiff peak of excitation. "You're so beautiful," Elsa purred and dragged her nails down the arc Anna's spine, sending chills racing out in every direction as the redhead arched into to wife's welcoming mouth.

Moving things along Anna slipped Elsa's shirt over her head and went to remove her bra, stopping midway with her fingers hooked just under the straps of the pale blue nursing bra.

"Is this okay? I don't want to rush you," looking deep into her oceanic blues, so shy and timid like it was their first time together.

"It's okay," she nodded. "I love you and I want this. I do. Just go slow. Please," she whispered softly, eyes half lidded as she glanced down at Anna's hands still frozen at her straps.

Anna proceeded happily, unclasping the bra and slowly sliding it down Elsa's willowy arms. The bashful blonde fought hard not to cover her bare breasts, so plump and full they were almost achingly uncomfortable.

Both now completely naked from the waist up, Anna lowered herself onto her wife's gorgeously bare chest, letting her summer tan kiss Elsa's smooth alabaster skin. Milky white breasts fused with rosy pink nipples as Elsa threw her head back into the pillow and let her breath exhale with a needy whine.

"Mere (more)," Anna requested.

Spreading her legs a little wider around her wife's lissome body, Anna began to gently roll her hips into Elsa's, letting her hardened nipples whisper against smooth pale skin as their bodies contoured perfectly together, meddling into one fluid motion.

The language lessons continued as Anna grazed her lips down Elsa's body and wrapped them gently around a delectable nipple, being careful to use the lightest of touch on the sensitive skin; wetting the lush rosy bud with a benevolent tongue.

"What's this one?" Anna murmured and gave the most engorged point a soft open mouth kiss.

The bilingual foreplay was slowing undoing Elsa, eyes fluttering closed as her wife patiently waited for a reply.

"Brystvorte," she panted with a short breath, arousal climbing with each passing second.

"That's a mouthful." Giggling at her pun, Anna filled her mouth with the delicate point, gently massaging it and welcoming the sweet milk that flowed so freely from it.

" _Mmmm_. And that?" quickly returning her mouth to feast upon the creamy offering.

Elsa's head was swimming in an endless ocean of elation and was having trouble speaking in _any_ language, let alone Norwegian. She hadn't used her own language in such an intimate way in over a decade and it was almost painfully arousing to speak those words to her wife in her native tongue. Almost as arousing as it was to hear them from Anna herself.

"M-m..mo...morsmelk," Elsa finally muttered, the end of the word breaking into a soft moan as Anna suckled a bit harder.

 _Mother's milk. How sweet is that?_ Anna thought to herself, recognizing _mor_ as mother and figuring out the rest. Maybe some things _were_ better in Norwegian as she found that translation utterly adorable.

" _Oh_ Anna. Kjære (sweetheart)," Elsa sighed happily, letting her body guide her desires and awaken those sleeping urges as she canted her hips up to meet the redhead's.

Anna rocked her hips back and began to form a steady rhythm as smooth skin slid over each other, breasts pressing together as soft whimpers flew from their lips.

"I missed this. Me on you, your soft skin," Anna panted, gyrating and circling herself ever so sweetly against her writhing wife.

Elsa was rapidly losing herself to her Anna's insistent rhythm, pulsing into her as a molten heat inflamed between them. The playful smirk on Anna's face had melted into one of sensual bliss, parted moist lips with eyes screwed shut as whimper after whimper reverberated in her chest. Each thrust of their hips was making the heat between them burn like a wildfire and Anna's looming climax had turned her whimpers into quiet screams, causing her to fall out of rhythm as the pleasure mounted to an almost unmanageable height.

"Don't stop...ahhh...right there."

Seeing to it that her beautiful wife tasted that sweet splendor just ahead, Elsa firmly placed her hands at the small of Anna's back and drove herself up against her even faster; taking over and letting Anna fade into the white light shooting up through her body.

"Elsa! Oh _fuck_...Elsa."

Anna crying out her name made Elsa's flame burn even brighter and brought her closer to her own peak each time it rang throughout the room.

Down from the fog of her own high Anna refocused her attention back to a patiently waiting Elsa, smoothing her movement and savoring each delicious touch of their skin as it meshed together between a light sheen of sweat.

"Tell me this," Anna begged with her lips brushing against Elsa's, feeling the warmth of her moans rush against her skin.

"Elske."

"Which means?" Anna sweetly whispered between them, bringing Elsa even closer as the heat continued to build.

"Make love." That was all it took to send a brilliant surge of the most glorious waves of utter euphoria up through every extremity, numbing and tingling her body so perfectly. It was so unexpectedly powerful that Elsa's eyes shot open in surprise as she succumbed to the overwhelming rapture.

Anna gently circled her hips a few more times to soak up every last bit of love between them.

"You okay? That looked...intense... but good." Nearly breathless Anna let her body go limp on top of Elsa's, watching the blonde catch her own breath as she nodded in response.

"I wasn't expecting it to be so...good."

Delicate fingers roved down Anna's mane and tickled across her back as she wriggled against Elsa. It felt like old times with Anna curled into the safety of her arms.

"So nice of Lilly to take an extended nap today," Anna purred, placing another kiss against her wife's swollen lips.

"Yeah I...wait. Do you hear that?" Elsa cocked her head towards the door as the sounds of tiny cooing echoed down the hall.

"Is that Lilly?"

"She's awake. How come we didn't hear her on the monitor?" Elsa whisper shouted as she desperately tried to get an arm through the blasted opening of her shirt.

"I don't know. Maybe it's not charged." Picking up the monitor and studying it curiously, Anna was astounded to find the power light glowing bright red. "Oh shit."

"What?"

"This isn't the receiver. I grabbed the wrong monitor. Lilly just heard everything!"

"What?!"

"The receiver is in Lilly's room. Everything that just happened was broadcasted into our daughter's room. Oh my God!" Mortified Anna buried her face in her hands as the shame and guilt eroded her mind.

"Anna wait, slow down. She may have heard everything but she doesn't know what it was," Elsa replied calmly, being the logical one as always.

"I swore! And all that moaning and breathing. I've scarred our innocent baby in two languages. Her first words are going to be _don't stop, right there_!"

"Anna we had sex when I was pregnant all the time and Lilly heard _that_ ," further trying to calm her now hyperventilating wife as she turned seven shades of red.

"Not in high definition!"

Anna's mind flashed forward to the future and she could already see Lilly sitting on a therapist's couch trying to undo all the harm her parents had done with their lecherous acts. Elsa on the other hand didn't see what the big deal was and was still somewhat basking in the glow of what she thought was a perfectly good sexcapade for their first time back, a mere dipping of a toe in the water but not a bad start to infusing some vigor back into their sex life.

"She's fine. Believe me." Elsa's confidence and assuring smile helped Anna's breathing return to a normal pace, flashing back to her own childhood now.

"Maybe you're right. I heard my parents once and I'm still normal. Did you ever walk in on your parents?" The question made Elsa burst out in laughter, quickly covering her mouth with her hands as she continued to giggle and roll her eyes at the thought.

"That would require them to have sex. I think I may be the only proof that they even consummated their marriage."

A look of uncertainty still plagued Anna's features and Elsa encircled her arms around her waist to calm those fretting russet brows, placing a kiss just between them. "Believe me. She's fine. I never saw my parents affectionate towards each other and it was awful. At least we know she won't have that problem."

"No, she _definitely_ won't have that problem," Anna chucked and brought her lips to Elsa's for a tender kiss. "Jeg elsker deg."

The words made Elsa's heart soar and her cheeks blush a gorgeous shade of pink. If Anna only knew the few times Elsa had ever heard those exact words spoken to her by someone who truly meant it.

"Jeg elsker deg min Anna."

* * *

The following evening Anna was busy singing Lilly a medley of her best lullabies, trying to get those big blue eyes to close for a good night's sleep while Elsa paced around the living room with the house phone clutched tightly in her hand. Perfect white teeth chewed on one side of her bottom lip as her mind played a game of tug-of-war with itself about calling her father. Once she set up a meeting with him she couldn't really go back so she had to be absolutely sure this was what she wanted. The one thing she couldn't shake from her memory was the frail voice she'd heard on the other end last time. He really did sound sick and if he was in fact dying, this was her one and only chance. She'd taken a leap of faith by finally revealing her past to Anna and in the end it paid off, bringing them closer together and allowing Elsa to embrace of part of herself she'd hid away for so many years.

She glanced at the towering grandfather clock on the far end of the room and calculated the time change in her head. It was nearly ten where she was and that meant it was almost seven where he was. It was early but she'd never known her father to sleep past six, believing that one should make the most of their day by rising with the sun.

As butterflies danced and fluttered their way up from her stomach to her heart, she took one last deep breath and began dialing the number; biting harder on that tortured bottom lip.

"Arendelle residence," Kai answered cheerfully.

"Kai. It's Elsa. I'm sorry for calling so early but is my father awake by any chance?"her voice slightly trembling but she didn't care if Kai heard. He wasn't the judgmental one.

"He is. He's taking breakfast right now but I don't think he'll mind if I interrupt," he replied warmly.

"Thank you."

As Kai went to alert Agdar of the phone call, Elsa had paced herself into a corner and her eyes skipped about the room as she listened to Kai's baritone voice in the background, probably talking to her father.

"Good morning this is Agdar," he said in that same fragile voice, which he immediately tried to rid himself of by clearing his throat.

Once again Elsa found her lips sealed shut, unwilling to move until her father broke the silence.

"Elsa I know it's you. Say something please." The softness in his voice caught her by surprise but was enough to persuade her to begin the lines she'd been practicing in her head for the past day.

"I thought about what you said, about wanting to see me. When exactly is it that you're coming?"

"My business in San Francisco will be complete by the 20th. Whatever is conducive to your schedule after that would be more than fine with me."

There was a beat of silence and Elsa felt like she could cut the tension with a knife.

"Does this mean you've agreed to see me?" He asked optimistically.

Sweaty hands made the pads of her fingers start to stick to the smooth shell of the phone. Her teeth sank further down into her bottom lip and sky blue eyes flashed to the ceiling, hesitating a brief moment before she forced herself to take that leap and open the door to her heart just a tad wider.

"Yes...but only for dinner. For now. I want to see you first, alone, before I decide whether or not you can see my daughter." Elsa held the phone away and quickly cursed herself for letting that last bit slip. She'd meant to keep anything and everything about Lilly and Anna private but her baby brain just didn't allow that to happen.

"It's a girl," he replied, voice sounding rather intrigued. "May I ask how old? When I last talked to you, you were pregnant correct?"

Elsa was now tight against the corner of the room and could feel a sudden heat creeping up her neck. She didn't expect for him to ask so much so soon, before she was ready and even had time to think about her answer.

"I was," she answered flustered. She felt like she'd lost control of the conversation and was now literally and figuratively backing herself into a corner.

"And it's a girl. What's her name?" His tone even lighter this time and the slight hint of joy in his voice sent her red flags flying up.

"Stop!"

Her head shook defensively against the wall, flummoxed by his ignorance and where he'd even got the nerve to ask her such things, to feel as though he had been granted the privilege to know anything about her at all brought out a furry from deep within her being.

"You haven't earned the right to know any of this. I haven't seen you seven years, after you told me to leave and had me escorted away remember? You're not going to earn back my trust just because I agree to meet with you for one dinner. I still want to meet with you but you should know just how thin the ice you're standing on really is. I'm not a little girl anymore. You can't threaten me or demean me _anymore_. I can walk away from this meeting at any time...so don't push your luck by trying to act like you have nothing to be sorry for."

Silence overtook the line and the only sound was Elsa's slowing breaths.

"Where and when?" He asked, calm and smooth.

"Just fly here as soon as you done with whatever it is you're doing. I'm sure whatever hotel you're staying at will have a concierge that can help you make arrangements. If you want this meeting you can do the work to make it happen. I'll leave my number with Kai and you can call me after you have the details figured out."

"I'll take care of everything. Just...please be there," his request almost sounding like a plea and a tinge of guilt pierced her heart.

"I hadn't planned for this conversation to be this...heated." A regretful sigh was enough for him to understand. "I'll speak to you soon."

Adgar wished her a goodnight and handed the phone back to Kai to collect Elsa's cell phone number. She had to give it to him as there was no way else they could arrange this dinner without some form of communication. But it irked her to have to give up so much of herself to him so quickly.

Anna had already put Lilly down in the bassinet for the night and was flopped face down on the couch in the family room when she heard Elsa's bare feet padding across the floor.

"How'd it go?" she muffled though the seat cushion, too tired to even look up.

"Not as well as I had planned but he's coming." Rounding the couch Elsa joined Anna and placed her mop of frazzled copper hair in her lap, stroking the locks as if Anna was the one that needed to be soothed.

"How do you feel now that it's all going to happen?" Anna rolled over with her head still place Elsa's lap and began to loop a rope of platinum hair around her fingers.

"I think I felt better before I called. Now I just feel...nervous. Almost sick to my stomach nervous."

"Okay so when is he coming?"

"Just after the 20th," Elsa said with a sigh. She hadn't realized how tight her chest had become just thinking about the dinner.

"Alright so you have two weeks to mentally prepare yourself. And you can always change your mind. No one is making you do this and it should be something you want for yourself. Don't do this for anyone else but you." Anna's gentle hand cupped against Elsa's cheek and she could feel her smiling against it. This was the Anna she needed. The one who somehow brushed aside all fear and doubt and pressed ahead with a courage Elsa had never known anyone else to possess. She needed a little of that to rub off on her if she was going to go make it through this.

"Two weeks. I think I can get it together by then to survive one dinner with him. I hope I can."


	36. Chapter 36

Towering stacks of laundry had taken over their enormous laundry room. Heaping mounds of yet to be washed clothes lined the adjacent side of the room and one smiling six week old baby Lilly sat propped up in a bouncer at the center of the action. While Lilly continued to clumsily swat at a stuffed toy butterfly dangling above her head, Anna and Elsa began folding their third load of laundry for the day as another one finished drying in the dyer.

"I cannot believe how much laundry one little person can make. We never had this much laundry before. Ever," Anna bemoaned as she paired up a giant pile of socks. She'd folded so many random articles of clothing and paired countless sets of socks that her fingers were starting to turn red and become sore at the tips.

"It's because something is always getting pooped, peed, or spit up on. This is kind of ridiculous. I feel like I'm drowning in textiles. Although it is kind of nice to get the full use out of this room for once."

Like the rest of the house, Elsa had spared no expense when it came to something as simple as a laundry room. The room was as big as a bedroom, longer even perhaps, and included a nice long L-shaped counter for ironing and folding, along with a basin and drying racks. And like everything Elsa, it had a gorgeous vase full of fresh lilacs from the garden out back.

"Okay," Elsa huffed as she plopped the last perfectly folded onesie onto Lilly's stack of clothes. "Done with that load. Which means my hands are free to play!" Her voice slid into a sing-song as she playfully curled her fingers out towards Lilly, who smiled so wide a string of drool came pooling out over her bottom lip. "Whoopsie. Mommy will get that." Both of them now referred to themselves in the third person. 'Me' and 'I' were nonexistent as they always referred to themselves as mommy now.

Elsa grabbed a burp cloth from the side of the bouncer and kneeled in front of Lilly to wipe her adorable little chin.

"Alt bedre!" she chimed, getting another gummy grin from Lilly as she kicked her happy legs in excitement. "Are you _smiling_? Are you smiling pretty girl? Yes you are. Such a pretty smile." Anna smiled herself listening to Elsa coo and dote upon their bubbly baby girl.

"Naaaaaa-a," Lilly cooed back to Elsa as if she were carrying on a conversation.

" _Ohhhhhhh_. Is that so? Is that so lille venne (little one)?" her toothless grin spreading even wider as Elsa tickled her sides, making her squirm and gurgle with the cutest little high pitched squeals.

"Is somebody ticklish? I think you are. I think you _are._ " Elsa carried on as Anna shook her head. She'd never realized how being a mom now also meant asking the baby a million questions and repeat them several times.

She chuckled to herself knowing she did the exact same thing and it was kind of funny in an ironic way how two women, raised a world away from each other could be so similar as mothers. Elsa was more playful than Anna had ever expected but she was more reserved than Anna, giving little tickles or peppering Lilly's face with kisses.

Anna was more the type to blow raspberries on Lilly's bare tummy or fly her over her head like an airplane, always getting the biggest smiles and giggles out of Lilly. She was only six weeks old and they already knew they had a social butterfly on their hands. Lilly not only smiled early but she was already testing out her vocal cords out and making all sorts of various vowel sounds. Elsa knew exactly where their little chatter box got it from and figured it must have rubbed off from all the talking Anna did with Lilly when she was pregnant with her.

"Ughhhh! I'm done. I don't want to look at another sock for at least a week." Anna joined Elsa and Lilly down on the floor and her big blue eyes got even wider now that she had both mommies for an audience.

"Whaddya doing down here huh? Whaddya doing miss Lilly?" doing the same ask and repeat question thing Elsa was doing but in a slightly higher mommy voice.

"Getting tickled," Elsa answered for Lilly.

"Ohhh! Is mommy tickling you? Is she? Well you tell mommy it's time for your nap." Anna beeped Lilly's button nose and a string of squeals was broken by a big yawn.

"But I didn't even get to play with her that much. We spent the whole morning doing laundry," Elsa whined, jutting out her bottom lip in protest.

"If we put her down for a nap you can have a turn and take a shower since I took one this morning."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that," dark blonde eyebrows bouncing at the thought of a hot steamy shower all to herself. The small things in life like showers were now luxuries with a baby.

Caught up in Anna's happy glow Elsa gave her a quick kiss and a sudden loud squeal came out of Lilly.

"Is it okay if I kiss your mommy? Or do you want kisses to? I think you do!" Elsa leaned in and took to one cheek while Anna took to the other and Lilly got attacked with kisses from both sides of her face. "I love you Lilly," they echoed back and forth before finally taking Lilly upstairs for her afternoon nap.

* * *

"Happy six weeks!" Anna bubbled as she skipped on the balls of her feet into the bathroom. Elsa had just finished enjoying her refreshing shower and was standing at the vanity doing her hair in nothing but a bra and underwear.

"Way to not look over ambitious Anna." Elsa gave a slight smile, as it was adorable that Anna was so excited but she didn't need the pressure. Although breastfeeding was melting away any remaining baby weight, she was still having a hard time seeing herself as sexy anymore.

"Since it's now six weeks I think we should go out and do something special like a date. And then I can bring you back here and show you what you've been missing." Elsa's eyes didn't move from the mirror as she continued to weaved the long locks into her standard braid but Anna had already crept up behind her, kissing at her neck and slithering her hands down her now slender stomach.

"Mind if my body gets a say in this night?" Elsa sassed back, not doing a very good job at hiding her trepidations about their return to explicit sex.

Withdrawing herself from around Elsa's body, Anna adopted a gentler demeanor and dropped to her knees to speak directly to Elsa's body itself.

"I'm sorry Elsa's body. How rude of me to not include you on this most important of conversations. Might it be alright if I take you out to some trendy and sexy restaurant so that I may admire your wonder, fill you with delicious food, and perhaps your first sip of wine in almost a year, and then...if you feel like it...make sweet, passionate, hopefully penetrative, love to you?" As ridiculous as Anna was being, Elsa couldn't hide the grin attempting to stretch across her face from utter amusement.

The grin fell from her face and she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth when Anna splayed her warm hands against her lower back and kissed a small dip of skin just above her naval.

"Would that be okay with you?" The kisses moved lower and Elsa bit on the lower lip just a bit harder, finding it impossible to ignore the warmth pooling just below her wife's sweet kisses. Her soft pink lips caught and dragged against the porcelain skin, dipping her tongue into the gap of her naval and humming mirthfully into it.

"Tiana did offer to babysit. Maybe….maybe we _could_...do...s-something," Elsa trailed off as Anna was now kissing past the lace trim of her underwear and right to the apex of the delicate line between her legs.

"So is that a yes?" Anna breathed against the thin triangle of fabric between and her wife's sweet spot.

Hesitation still loomed over Elsa like a gloomy storm cloud. What if she wasn't ready that night either? Anna was already so good at coaxing her into sex, she always had been, who's to say she wouldn't do the same thing she was doing now to have her way with her after their evening out?

"Umm…"

Giving up on using foreplay, because really, Anna could get Elsa to do anything with that, she decided to sweet talk her instead like she did when they were dating. Elsa let out a whine when the heat disappeared from her center and suddenly found herself pressed against the wall with Anna looking at her with those big pleading eyes.

"Elsa," she honeyed, giving her a light kiss. "I love you very much. Will you please go out on a date with me? Pleeeeease."

The pensive line of her lips melted into a beaming smile, giggling at Anna's flattering. "Of course I will my love. How could I ever say no to you?"

* * *

Tiana was kind enough to come over a little early so that Anna and Elsa could get dressed and ready without having to pass Lilly back and forth.

 _When the Saints Go Marching In_ could be heard from downstairs as Tiana entertained Lilly with her amazing voice and Elsa slipped on her first pair of heels in months. Body back to it's nice tight shape, still a little ways to go in the ab department, Elsa was looking smoking hot for her first date night with her wife slash co-parent. Anna also looked ravishing and it was almost like they were trying to see which one could blow each other's head off first.

"Wow, you two look out of this world. I'll make sure Lilly is nice and tired by the time you get home," giving the pair a wink. "You two have a good time and don't worry about a thing. She's in good hands," Tiana reassured with a wide eyed Lilly in her arms.

Elsa grabbed her purse and was finding it difficult to pull herself away from Lilly when she went to kiss her goodbye, stealing her from Tiana as both moms gave her one last cuddle before finally letting go.

"Jeg elsker deg min lille venne, jeg elsker deg min lille venne (I love you my little one, I love you my little one)," Elsa chanted quietly against Lilly ear. "Mamma kommer straks tilbake. Ikke fortvil (Mommy will be back soon. Don't worry)."

"We'll be back in few hours baby. I love you so much," Anna whispered into the other ear.

"Go before you guys change your mind. You need to get out and have some adult time." The two frowny faced moms handed their precious baby back over and Tiana had to shoo them out the door before they finally left.

* * *

Elsa let Anna pick out the restaurant and was a little taken aback when they entered into a dark and sleek modern restaurant. Everything was black with purple glowing tanks filled with jellyfish built into the pillars around the bar . The place was crawling with younger twenty something year olds trying to feel like they were at some posh celebrity hideaway and Elsa felt oddly out of place even though they both looked liked the fit right in.

"Let's go get a drink. If you have something now it'll burn through your system by the time you get home and you won't have to worry about nursing Lilly," Anna yelled to Elsa over the chatter of the crowd gathered at the hostess stand.

Her first glass of red wine tasted sweet and smooth as it slid down her throat.

"I can't believe it's been almost a year since I had caffeine or alcohol. I almost feel guilty drinking this," swirling the full bodied wine around in her glass as she took a larger sip.

"Well you've earned it. Enjoy," Anna said she he held up her glass for a toast.

Halfway through her drink Elsa had to excuse herself to the ladie's room and on her way back heard the hostess bellow her name.

"Elsa party of two," the hostess called out.

"Hold on let me go get my wife. She's still at the bar. I'm sorry, I'll be right back."

Burning a trail through the maze of a restaurant, Elsa's black Christian Louboutins came to a screeching halt when saw her beloved wife engaged in a conversation with a woman Elsa knew she'd recognize anywhere. The dreaded ex Colette. Of all of Anna's ex-girlfriends, Colette was the one who lit a fire under Elsa and brought out the green eyed monster within her. Not only was she edgy with her short black bob and purple highlights but she was French and apparently swept Anna off her feet, and all the way to Paris, at one point in time.

Fire burned in her veins as she saw the redhead laughing and giggle at Colette's idiotic jokes in her pretentious French accent and...a _hand_ on her wife's leg. The fire turned into an inferno and an explosion of fury went off behind Elsa's eyes. Who the hell was she to touch her wife, _her_ Anna? The woman she just had a baby with. The woman she shared her life with. The woman who had taken her name.

Elsa took a step, no a stomp, forward when she stopped herself again. Being angry would only play right into Colette's favor and make Elsa look like a crazy possessive wife. She had to play this just right.

Smoothing out her skimpy black dress, she thought to herself as a grin curled up the side of her mouth. Tousling her hair so that it looked model perfect, Elsa hitched up her dress another inch and strode to the bar with her hips swaying so lively she made no less than six heads turn as she approached the pair.

The loud clacking of heels broke their laughter as Anna and Colette turned to see the Norse goddess heading right towards them for a European showdown, Norway vs France round one.

Elsa didn't even make eye contact and shoved her knee right in between Anna's legs, leaning into the bar stool and pulling her wife into a deep and messy tongue filled kiss. She knew Anna wouldn't deny her, she was her wife after all, and Elsa let out a soft moan while Colette watched slender pale fingers slither up the inside of Anna's legs. Elsa definitely put the _show_ in showdown. Anna gasped for air when Elsa finally pulled her lips away, still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Our table's ready _baby_ " Elsa purred as her hand stroked the inside of her gobsmacked wife's leg.

 _Baby_. Elsa never really used that word and when she did it either meant she was pissed, drunk, or having incredible sex. Only two of the three seemed possible at the moment and knowing Colette was right next to them, Anna surmised pissed was the answer with drunk and, God willing, incredible sex later if Anna played her cards right. Right now _baby_ meant Elsa was raging mad with jealousy and Anna knew she was probably in some kind of trouble.

"Oh...I...uh...it.." _Work mouth!_ Anna struggled to spit out a coherent sentence but Elsa kept right on smiling at her, jamming that knee further between her legs and... _oh_...it was starting to distract Anna in the very best way.

"C-Colette...you remember my wife Elsa," Anna said nervously, making sure to curl her arms around Elsa's waist and proclaim ownership.

"Oui. I never forget the woman who stole my _reux_ (redhead) away from me." Blue-gray eyes narrowed and settled on Elsa, feeling the heat radiating off the vexed Parisian.

Unwavered, Elsa simply smiled back and caressed the side of Anna shoulder, nuding that knee just a tad more. "So good to see you again Colette, I didn't even see you over there. I'm sure Anna told you our happy news."

"No. What's news is that mon cherie?"

Elsa pursed her lips but quickly tried her to hide her anger by flirtatiously licking her lips.

"Oh yeah. We just had a baby," Anna chirped in reply.

"Yeah. Une belle petite fille, mon amie," Elsa sassed back with an enormous grin.

"You never said she spoke French." Colette had always been so competitive with Elsa, even though Anna had broken up with her a full year before she started dating Elsa. To her, Anna was always the one that got away and she really didn't have anyone to blame but herself.

"I speak six languages. But who's counting, right _baby_?" Anna's eyes quirked at that word again and she now feared Elsa a bit more while being extremely aroused at the same time. It was the most confusing confrontation ever.

"A crying baby and no sleep. Sounds like paradise," sarcasm dripping off of every word.

"We weren't really doing that much actual _sleeping_ at night before anyways. This one likes to go all night. Riktig (right)?" Elsa was down right oozing with sultriness as she winked at Anna and coyly bit her lip.

"Riktig?" Colette repeated in a snarky tone.

"Oh I...I speak a little Norwegian now. Elsa taught me." The showy smile on Elsa's face turned genuine for a moment as they gazed lovingly at each other.

Colette angrily set her glass of Merlot on the bar and let her eyes drift down to the white kneecap peeking out from under Anna's dress.

"I believe the language of love is the most important of all. Wouldn't you agree mon cherie?" For a moment Elsa thought she was dreaming as she spied Colette's hand heading right towards the soft curve of Anna's thigh and the sassy smirk fell from her face in an instant, changing to a disgusted jaw clenching look of outrage.

Stopping the intrusive advance dead in Colette's tracks, Elsa snatched her hand and gripped it tightly where it stood.

"DON'T. TOUCH. MY. WIFE," Elsa snarled through gritted teeth. Narrowed eyes that burned with the heat of a blazing inferno sent Colette's hand retreating with haste.

Anna moved her legs to the side and her eyes darted back and forth between the two women, hoping Elsa's hormones weren't going to do something crazy or unpredictable.

"Anna, I believe our table is ready. Would you please tell the hostess that I'll be there momentarily."

Afraid to leave the two of them alone Anna sat motionless in the bar stool.

"Please," Elsa pressed, eyes still fixed on Colette.

As uncomfortable as it was Anna had no choice but to let Colette get whatever she had coming to her and went to stand nervously at the hostess booth.

As soon as Anna was far enough away Elsa pursed her lips and looked Colette over once more with a disquieting ire.

"I understand that you living on the same side of town as us unfortunately means having to run into you so often but in the future I expect you to have a little more respect. How _dare_ you try to touch my wife in front of me. Whatever you had with Anna was a long time ago and it wasn't meant to be." Colette wasn't miffed in the slightest and glowered sternly at Elsa as she rose from her seat.

"You may be with her but don't think she doesn't think of me from time to time whenever she gets tired of your boring vanilla look. So pale, so drained of color and life. With me she lived. _Really_ lived. And now you've turned her into a suburban housewife. Such a shame. I would have given her everything," clucking her tongue in disapproval.

"By everything do you mean cheating on her and running back to Paris?"

Stunned, Colette was speechless as Elsa's icy glare and wicked smile had the girl cowering in her seat.

"I gave her a ring, you gave her crabs. That's the difference between me and you. Au revoir garce (goodbye bitch)," Elsa spat as she turned on her heel.

Refusing to let Colette ruin their night, Elsa shook off the nasty comments and joined Anna back at the hostess booth as she showed them to their table.

Seated at a darkened both, well the whole place was dark actually but the lighting was even more obscure in their corner table. The booth could have easily seated six, plenty of space for two people but instead Elsa was half way into Anna's lap as she kissed and sucked on an earlobe while Anna tried to use the giant menu to hide their public groping. The table also happened to have a perfect view of Colette and her group of European friends enjoying a bottle of expensive French wine.

As good as it felt to have her adoring wife lap at her ear, Anna had a hard time believing its authenticity. "You're only doing this because I was talking to Colette earlier."

"No. I'm doing this because I love you," Elsa rebutted in a high unconvincing voice, shoving her tongue into Anna's ear.

"Mmmm yeah...but mostly Colette." She wasn't buying it. Not more than two days ago did Anna have to get on her knees and practically beg Elsa to even go out with her. Now all of the sudden she was ready to have sex right in the booth out of the blue. Not even hormones were that crazy.

A hand slinked its way under the hem of Anna's dress and came dangerously close to the tiny thong she was wearing underneath.

"Are you liking it?" Elsa husked.

"Mhmm," Anna squeaked, pressing her lips together to keep from drawing any further attention to themselves with any actual noise.

"Then stop complaining and stop saying _her name_ ," Elsa's voice was suddenly so dark and devious that it sent a chill up between Anna's shoulder blades.

The hand circled upward and Anna was now biting her lips, shutting her eyes and praying it wasn't headed for her..."Aaahhh ha ha. W-we're in public," squirming away from Elsa's persistent hand tucking its way under her thong.

"I'm aware."

It was plenty dark in the restaurant and Anna figured people probably couldn't see them very well anyway but Elsa's hands were doing things that threatened to make Anna take her back home and ravish her before the appetizer even came.

Thankfully Elsa's ravenous appetite took over when the salad came and distracted her long enough for Anna to actually start a conversation.

"So...how how how is your...are you feeling?" Or not. It was hard to speak when she was so aroused and flummoxed by the whole Colette thing at the same time.

Elsa giggled and held a hand up in front of her full mouth to hide it, clearing her throat when she was finished chewing.

"I'm doing much better," she giggled again, lighter this time.

Anna's stuttering really did make it feel like a date as she used to do so a lot when they were first dating.

"It feels like everything is going back to normal which is...great but..." she stopped, eyes drifting away as her gaze wandered around the pitch black tablecloth.

"But..." Anna inquired.

"I sort of miss being pregnant. I miss her. I miss _feeling_ her. I miss that...that bond."

"If you miss being pregnant we can certainly fix that. I want more for sure. I want a bunch of kids that can smother me in hugs." Elsa loved how Anna's face lit up every time she talked about kids and family. Colette couldn't have been more wrong. Anna _was_ happy.

"I'm so exhausted with this one and I haven't even gone back to work yet. But I so want more," Elsa gushed as she devoured her salad, stealing a bite off of Anna's plate.

"How long do you think we should wait?" Anna asked.

"I don't know. At least a year or two," Elsa replied and covered her mouth politely as she chewed.

"Two sounds good. Then I can go back to work a little before the next one. I'm excited the next one will be my egg. A blonde and a redhead, it's like a little you and me." The thought melted both of their hearts and Elsa dropped her fork to hold Anna's hand as they gleamed at the thought of their future.

"I know it's all the same but I can't wait to carry your baby. To have a part of you and your love growing inside me. It's poetic in a way." Two years was now feeling like an awfully long time for Anna with the way Elsa was talking.

"I shouldn't have gotten as aroused as I did from hearing that but the thought of your pregnant body did it to me I think. Although the return of this hot bod is also doing it for me as well. You look fantastic," looking Elsa once over as the blonde blushed.

"Thank you. But getting back to babies. How many do you think now?"

"I think three sounds good. We'll have one from each egg and then the third can be a surprise. Maybe we could even wait to find out the sex next time."

"How about the third one we let everything be a surprise. For the next one, if it's going to have red hair I want to know the sex because if it's another girl I'll have died and gone to heaven knowing that they'll be sisters. And I'll get to French braid blonde _and_ red haired children and my life be complete," Elsa gushed and her smile grew even wider, cheeks high with a dusting of pink as she pictured two miniature versions of them running around in braids.

"You're obsessed with my hair you know that right?" Anna said with a flip of said hair.

"I'm obsessed with you in general," Elsa smirked over the rim of her glass and winked before taking a sip.

* * *

When they got home Lilly was already fast asleep in her crib, swaddled tightly like a little baby burrito but that didn't stop them from smothering her face in kisses.

Elsa stepped out to check her breast milk for alcohol on a test strip and was clear to nurse.

"How are you going to nurse if she's sleeping?"

"Easy, it's called a dreamfeed. They'll still nurse while they're sleeping if you help latch them on. I have to, otherwise I'm going to burst. This dress is already much tighter than it was when I left the house."

Anna curled up next to Elsa in the nursery chair and watched as she tried to encourage Lilly to nurse. Just like magic, without stirring one bit, Lilly latched on and relieved Elsa of the throbbing fullness that had been paining her for the last half hour.

Even fast asleep Lilly still placed her little curled up hand on top of Elsa's breast, cuddling closer into her warmth. A buoyant smile broke out on Anna's face and she lightly caressed the feathery blonde hair on Lilly's head.

Their evening out had been fantastic, rocky at first but there was no better feeling than cuddling together as a family. It only took one night to learn that although they'd be able to do so on future occasions, going out would never be the same as it was before. A tiny part of them would always be missing and that feeling of coming home would instantly wash away the guilt and fill the empty feeling that loomed over them whenever they weren't with Lilly. Couple time was important and wonderful but it didn't compare to family time. They were three peas in a pod now, all squished in one chair as they savored the calm of just being together.

With Lilly fed and down for the night, the couple's time could continue and Anna slipped away to prepare her surprise for Elsa.

"Be right back. I have something for you. Why don't you go make yourself comfortable on the bed while I go get it," she murmured and scampered off to their closet.

Sitting on the edge of Anna's side of the bed, Elsa gratefully kicked off her heels and stretched the arches of her aching feet. While Elsa wondered if shoes would ever fit the same again, a thin strip of light illuminated the room from behind the closet door as it slowly opened.

From out of the blinding white light, a slender leg clad in a sheer black stocking peeked out from the crack of the doorway as Anna stepped out, wearing the lingerie she'd bought and saved for a rainy day the week Lilly was born. Seeing as how Colette had thrown Elsa into a jealous tailspin, stirring up all kinds of emotions and making Elsa question her own appeal, Anna decided that tonight was the perfect night to remind Elsa just who Anna belonged to.

The redhead tromped to the center of the room, displaying a diaphanous black chemise that fit like a bra on top and hit high on her milky thighs. Completely see through, the fabric also revealed a matching red and black thong that Anna was coyly adjusting to show off its glove like fit.

In the light of the room Elsa could make out the finer details of her wife's risque wardrobe, studying the lacy tops of the stockings and little red bow situated right smack dab in the middle of her burgeoning breasts.

"I saw this a while back and thought you might like," her voice soft and smoky as she paraded herself across the length of the room, striding right in between the two pale legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

"You like it?" Anna husked with a bounce of her brow.

Elsa was stupefied in awe and elation as her eyes drank in the sight of the fiery vixen before her. Anna was always gorgeous to Elsa but this...this was a _treat_ of the very best kind. Her rosy skin stood out against the dense black of the chemise, highlighting those mesmeric aquamarine eyes; so wide with want and a desire to please.

Elsa's mouth fell open but nothing came out. The sight before her was utterly worthy of her speechlessness but she so desperately wanted to tell Anna how she was making her body vibrate in the most extraordinary way, like a plucked string of a finely tuned instrument she hummed to life.

"You don't have to say anything," placing Elsa's shaky hands on the curves of her backside, fingers splaying out just below Anna's tailbone.

"Tonight, I want to please you. Make you ever so happy that you're mine." At a painstakingly slow pace, Anna bent over and captured her wife's full and throbbing lips for a most splendid kiss, pulling the bottom lip back just a bit when she pulled away.

"I am going to ask one last time. Are you ready? _Really_ ready? Because I would love nothing more than to show you, my wife, the mother of my child just exactly how much I love you." A warm hand pressed to the hollow of Elsa's neck as Anna waited for permission before leaning her back against the pillowy soft mattress.

Without hesitation Elsa replied with a heaving breath, "I'm ready. I've never been more ready."

Anna smiled softly and reached behind to unzip Elsa's dress, slipping it down past her hips and tossing it off to the side. Next was a hot pink thong and Anna chuckled to herself at Elsa's adorable color selection as she flung the garment over her shoulder.

Cradled between Elsa's slender white thighs, Anna kissed her one last time, deeply and sensually before dragging herself down the length of her body. Along the way Anna stopped and kissed Elsa's naval, causing her to giggle and run her playful fingers through Anna's fiery mane. Taking her time, she finally kissed her way down to the sweet warmth of her core, already so slick and wet with excitement.

Elsa's hands left the haven of Anna's hair and their fingers interlaced together, holding onto each other tightly and resting their hands at each of Elsa's hip bones.

Steadying herself on her forearms, Anna lovingly kissed the soft bud she'd missed ever so much, transferring all of her unspoken love and affection for her beautiful wife into every tender touch of her lips. Elsa's hips relaxed and her legs parted more fully, letting her ankles rest on Anna's back as she let out a pleasurable sigh. Anna happily worshiped Elsa's core, using gentle strokes and soft kisses against her tender folds.

After giving Elsa's body plenty of time to warm up, Anna asked once more for assurance before ever so gently sliding a single finger inside her. Slowly she let Elsa's body adjust, not wanting to cause even the slightest bit of discomfort, and began to pump the finger at an unhasty pace. The feeling was surprisingly pleasant, different but not in a bad way. Even a little better in some ways.

"Just let me know what you need," Anna said softly. "Mere (more)?" switching to Norwegian so that Elsa felt extra cared for and comfortable.

"Ja," Elsa breathed, hips lightly moving up to meet Anna's touch. "To fingre (two fingers)."

Anna obliged and carefully added a second finger and was relieved to hear pleasurable sounds escape from Elsa's parted lips.

"God (good)?" Anna asked, making sure Elsa was still enjoying herself.

"Raskere (faster)," she pleaded softly, breath quickening with each gentle glide of those glorious fingers.

Anna slowly increased her movements, keeping a close eye on Elsa's face for any signs of discomfort but she seemed to be enjoying herself just fine.

"Do that thing you do that I like," Elsa requested with a quick breath, her hips rocking at a more ardent speed. That really could have meant a number of things but Anna figured Elsa must have meant to curl against that sweet spot on her upper wall because it always drove Elsa crazy.

Using light pressure Anna curled her fingers and stroked in a come hither motion but Elsa's face only tensed in response.

"You okay?"

"It's not working." Elsa said a little disheartened, hoping this wasn't the beginning of the dreaded post baby sex problems she heard some people encountered after birth.

Determined to make her wife sing in elation, Anna searched and stroked until Elsa's responded with an encouraging moan. Finally her fingers found a spot that sent Elsa gasping for air as she milked the soft flesh of her wall.

"Oh... _Anna_...I love you. I love you," Elsa chanted, breath quavering as their bodies brushed against each other. The hem of Anna's negligee was hanging down just above Elsa's now flat stomach, tickling her and adding the most delicious sensation to the mix of overwhelming ecstasy.

"There?" guessing from Elsa's reaction that she'd found that heavenly spot. It had moved but it couldn't hide from Anna's persistent fingers.

" _Ahhh_ …yeah…right there," wriggling her hips against Anna's hand and the redhead had almost forgotten how beautifully those hips could move, like they were casting a spell on her with every fluid roll.

That sweet spot quickly built into burning white heat, unleashing an orgasm so big that it took Elsa by surprise, eyes shooting wide open as her jaw bobbed in time to her celestial cries.

This time it didn't matter that they had the correct baby monitor because not only could Lilly hear Elsa's screams of passion but Anna was pretty sure their neighbors did was well.

" _Oh_...oh my God..." Elsa panted, her voluptuous chest heaving beautifully under Anna's frame as she sweetly kissed her wife's swollen lips, tender and bruised from a night of making up for lost time.

"You okay?" Anna whispered softly.

"More than okay. That was _incredible_."

"Better than before? Better than multiples?" she asked in disbelief as Elsa caught her breath.

"I don't think I've ever come _that_ hard before. How are you always able to know my body better than me? You're the only one who's ever been able to solve its riddles." Elsa's fingers threaded into Anna's hair and she brought her in for another kiss.

"I aim to please you and your body speaks to me," Anna teased. "No but really I just want to make you feel good. Even if it takes some work to figure out the new changes." She smiled and rested her body against Elsa. It still felt so good to be able to lay flush against each other again.

"Anna. You still find my body attractive? You still find me attractive even though I'm...what did she say...boring?" She hadn't wanted to telegraph it to Colette at the time but her jab had pierced Elsa's veil of confidence.

"You could never be boring. Even if you tried." Anna smiled and kissed Elsa lightly on the nose as she smiled in return.

Colette may have had purple hair and traveled the world but she had never been able to love and protect Anna the way Elsa had. Colette was always a little too in love with herself and Elsa was completely selfless, making Anna feel like the most important and cared for person in the world. Elsa was the one who had made her fall head over heels in love, so much so that Anna knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her only after a few months of dating.

"You know I love you right?" Anna's face was warm with sincerity, knowing Elsa was still going through so much emotionally with her father and hormones.

"Of course I do. I just get jealous sometimes. Rarely but that... _woman_ always irks me to no end. She always acts like she still owns you no matter how long we've married and she still tried to touch you in front of me even after I told her we just had a baby."

The chemise had done it's job in giving Elsa some visual eye candy but now it was time for Anna to do a little damage control. Sexy damage control is if there was such a thing.

Slipping her fingers under the lacy hem of her dress, Anna slowly pulled it over her head and revealed those mouth-watering breasts of hers, rosy pink and stiff with excitement. She situated herself so that she was straddling and sitting back on Elsa's hips, taking the blonde's hands into her own and guiding them along here shivering body.

Pale hands roved over sweetly curved mounds and velvety peaks at the center of Anna's breasts, sweeping down and around the taut muscles of her abs before cupping them against her firm rear.

"Would I let anyone else touch me like this?" running those porcelain fingers back over her hardened nipples with a strangled moan and gentle rock of her hips, hard enough to make Elsa feel one last clench of a lingering aftershock.

Singling out two long thin digits, Anna guided Elsa's fingers deep within her moist folds, effortlessly sliding them deeper as Anna buried a hand into her cinnamon locks, mussing and clutching it at the root so that it drove Elsa wild. She loved those fiery tendrils of hair and Anna was well aware of the power it had over her blushing wife.

"Would I let anyone else do this to me?" Pitch black pupils enveloped her turquoise irises with a hungering desire as she licked her lips with a sultry finesse.

Elsa still didn't answer and directed her attention to the lecherous things Anna was making her fingers do to her, unraveling the redhead to no end.

"You know I'm only for you. I only want you. And right now...I want you inside me," she commanded, sliding those fingers further back to her entrance and pushing them deep within her core; tilting her head back and letting out the most erotic moan as she did so.

Elsa hadn't blinked in about five minutes and she was pretty sure she'd also stopped breathing. Anna had looked amazing in her previous attire but nothing compared to the natural bareness of her creamy apricot skin. Her cerulean eyes scanned over the smattering of freckles covering her body, more in some areas than others, and decided against flipping Anna over. Leaving her on top gave Elsa the pleasure of seeing her wife get pushed to the brink of ecstasy with the world's most spectacular view.

Anna was still slowly pumping Elsa's fingers in and out when the blonde took over and set a more fervent pace, cupping her palm around Anna's wet mound to give some attention to her swelling bud.

The view was indeed perfection. Long copper tresses bounced against Anna breasts as she canted her hips from high on her perch, performing a salacious dance meant for Elsa's eyes only; rolling her hips and pinching a pebbly nipple between her fingers. The more Anna bucked the higher she sang and the wider Elsa's grin stretched across her face.

Unable to resist the urge any longer, Elsa rolled Anna over onto her back and moved her hand faster and harder, their bodies rocking in perfect unison as she kissed her wife deeply. Sharp gasps escaped from Anna as she thrusted her hips upwards to Elsa, feeling like she was going to burst as a fire burned within her. Elsa kissed her neck and cheeks, allowing Anna to cry out and climb that mountain until she was exalted to her sweet release.

"Elsa!" she cried as jolts of electricity radiated out through her skin, riding wave upon wave as her body hummed with elation.

When Anna's panting had settled Elsa collapsed to her side, cradling her into her arms as she tenderly kissed her beautifully swollen lips.

"Happy six weeks," Elsa beamed with a smile.

Weary and unable to keep their eyes open any longer, Elsa slipped them both under the covers and fell asleep with Anna curled into her warm embrace.

* * *

The next morning Anna awoke peacefully, which was rare these days, wrapped in Elsa's arms as they spooned naked under nothing but a light crisp sheet. It was a little odd not to wake up to a crying or cooing baby and Anna felt almost guilty and cautious about waking up in such a way, although it was impossible to ignore the sensuous feeling of Elsa's bare breasts pressed against her back and the warm breath against her scalp as she breathed each sweet breath.

Feeling Anna's slender body shift within her hold, Elsa pulled her closer and breathed a long pleasurable sigh.

"Good morning," she said softly and Anna could feel the smile against her skin as Elsa pressed little morning kisses to the crook of Anna's neck. "Lilly's in the bassinet so don't be too loud. I got up at four and brought her in here after nursing her."

Brushing her hair from out of the way, Elsa continued to kiss over Anna's shoulder, smiling at each and every freckle she lavished with her lips.

"Last night was fun. I love when you dress up. Drives me crazy. Especially those stockings, meow," she growled against the shell of Anna's ear.

Spooning was great and while Anna loved nothing more than feeling their naked bodies pressed together, it still wasn't as good as face to face and so Anna rolled over to continue their morning love fest.

"Good, I'm glad I could make your return to sex...pleasurable."

Legs tangled together under the sheets as they shared a few tender kisses that grew deeper with each one. Elsa sank her hands into Anna's rear and pulled her even closer but their moment of passion was brought to a halt when the sounds of pre-crying hit their ears like an alarm.

"Somebody's up," Anna whispered and Elsa sat up to cradle Lilly into her arms and lay her down between the two of them.

"Good morning my Lilly! Oh, somebody's in a good mood this morning," Anna sing-songed as she curled a finger behind Lilly's cheek trying to encourage a smile.

Loving the showering of attention Lilly smiled and cooed, melting their hearts with all her adorable cuteness. Traces of her barely there blonde eyebrows bounced up and down with each squeal as her mommies made ridiculously happy faces at her. This was what mornings were all about now. Waking up with whole family cuddled together in bed and Elsa felt like she had the whole world on a string as she watched her loving wife fawn over their precious baby girl.

A cell phone chimed on the nightstand and Elsa rolled over to check the text message on the screen. It was from an unknown ridiculously long number and based on the message, _leaving San Francisco today_ , she knew exactly who it was from.

"Everything okay?" Anna asked as she tickled Lilly's tummy, making her squeal even more with musical baby sounds.

"My father is flying in today."

Just those few words put a palpable damper on the mood, of course it went completely unnoticed by Lilly who was still smiling up a storm.

"It'll be fine," Anna assured. It was really all she could say at this point. The dinner was going to happen and Elsa had to face this on her own. At a certain point she needed to let go of Anna's hand and face her father.

Nerves started to kick in but Elsa's mind kept trying to remind her that she didn't have anything to be afraid of. He was a weak old man now and she wasn't a child anymore.

It didn't take more than one look at Lilly to bring all those memories back though. She loved her more than life itself and while Lilly represented everything good and right in Elsa's life, she was also a small reminder of Elsa herself. At one point in time she'd been just like her, a fragile new life with the world at her fingertips, just waiting to grow into the amazing person she'd become. But her father had been the one to rob her of that innocence and crush her spirit along the way. She didn't know what to expect at the dinner but she now knew she not only needed to do this for herself but for Lilly as well. She was determined to make peace with her past so that she could look her daughter in the eye and not let it taint their most sacred bond.


	37. Chapter 37

The sky had already begun to take on a deep violet when Agdar finally texted Elsa the information for their meeting later that evening. _Eight o'clock, Dahlia's on 4th_ , she kept repeating to herself as she rocked a sleeping Lilly against her chest. A wave of chills raced across her ribs and up to her chest, kissing Lilly just above her temple to help distract herself from the nerves rattling through her body. One sniff of the that sweet intoxicating baby scent from the top of Lilly's head brought a smile to Elsa's tensing face as she stopped to think how odd it was that her own child was helping her cope with the anxiety of dealing with her father.

Lilly sucked in a quick shuddering breath through her tiny nose before snuggling closer into Elsa's warm chest, nuzzling her nose into the hollow of her throat as her smile deepened with delight.

She tried to imagine what she would tell Lilly if she were faced with something like this, though confronting a scorned daughter was something Elsa hoped never to do. One day it would happen, there'd be something in her life that she was afraid of or found herself in a maelstrom of emotion over and she'd be the one to help Lilly through it. She'd tell her to be brave, Elsa thought. She would remind Lilly that no matter what happened, she loved her more than life itself. That she was an amazing and wonderful person who could do anything, no matter how impossible the challenge seemed.

There was nothing different about her own situation. She was brave. Elsa had fought and somehow managed to preserve her spirit throughout her father's tyranny. She'd prevailed and left her homeland to build a life for herself, free from anyone's expectations other than her own. And for the past seven years she had done so with the most beautiful soul by her side. She found a love richer and deeper than she ever knew existed. And that love had blossomed and culminated into the precious little life now clinging to her pinky finger in the soft white light of the nursery.

No matter what, he couldn't hurt her anymore. He couldn't say anything to cut her down because she was smart enough by now to know it wasn't true. Whatever the reason he had come to see her, she was still going to come back to a safe and happy home every single day for the rest of her life. Whether he loved her or not, it would never replace or come close to the love Anna and Lilly gave her.

* * *

Sounds of modern lullaby versions of _The Beatles_ echoed through the second floor of their home as Anna played with Lilly on the floor of the nursery. An avid tummy time fan, Lilly grunted and cooed as she lifted and lowered her wobbly head. Chubby legs and arms struggled to support the weight of her body but Anna cheered her on with silent hand claps and high pitched squeals of encouragement.

While the nursery was alive with giggles and music, Elsa was trapped in the mirror, staring at her reflection as she prepared to end the seven year cold war between her and her father. Pale porcelain skin a smidge whiter than usual with a sense of foreboding. Hair and makeup perfectly done with a sensible and appropriately cut dress looked back at her, the image of a grown and sophisticated woman. She looked the part; successful, driven, elegant. But the child inside her kept rising to the surface with an unsettling fear that this was going to go terribly wrong.

"How do you feel?" Anna asked trying to balance Lilly in her arms as Elsa gathered her purse and a light wrap by the front door, lips tense in a line of apprehension. It was hard for Anna to see her this way, knowing she couldn't go with her or protect her. This had to be done alone not matter how difficult it was.

Elsa let out a forceful breath and thought for a moment. "Angry," she replied bluntly.

"Well that's understandable. I know somewhere in there you're probably scared or even nervous but remember when you were having Lilly and you said, _let me die...I can't take any more?_ " Elsa chuckled a little at the memory. "You didn't think you could do it...but you did. You're strong and brave...and you can do this," Anna said sweetly and wrapped her free arm around Elsa's waist, pulling her close as she looked deep into those worried cerulean pools. "Just remember that I love you. I love you and that's all that really matters. And I'm so proud of you. You are everything he could never be. And you are everything to me." Elsa bit back a small cry and a tear that pricked at the corner of her eye, feeling a swirl of warmth tickle her heart as Anna tucked a loose wave of golden blonde hair behind her ear before giving her a kiss.

"Thank you. I love you," Elsa said and took one last deep breath. "And I love you so very much my sweet girl," giving Lilly the softest of kisses on top of her blonde head.

With no words left to say, the two shared a look that gave Elsa enough confidence to walk out the door, looking back at least twice and Anna watched her until she pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

A hot and muggy summer's evening had fallen upon the bustling city. It was almost eight o'clock and the sun began to set as it reflected off the windows of the many buildings. A sight that Elsa would normally haved stopped to take in, she loved the way sunlight could give a building an entirely different feel. Her mind was elsewhere as a young valet attendant rushed to open her car door and offered a hand before giving her the valet ticket.

"Enjoy your evening miss."

She laughed to herself before politely thanking the man, as he seemed to have no idea just how ironic his words had been. Finding any sort of enjoyment in her evening was going to be highly unlikely. After all, this was a moment she'd been avoiding for seven years. The only thing that made her feel better was knowing that she had the upper hand as it had been her father who requested this meeting, not her.

The surrealness of the moment was palpable as she slowly walked towards the hostess stand, dressed to the nines in an outfit that gave her some much needed confidence. If she was going to get any message across without using words, it was that she had made it without him. She was a successful professional of her own making, on her own talents. She also had the love of a woman who cared for her in a way he could never understand let alone be capable of. They were also on equal footing now. Sure she'd only been a parent for only six weeks but she already knew that there was nothing in this world, no amount of pride, that could keep her from her daughter or do anything other than love and support her. She was ready for this to happen, to face him. To face the past.

"May I help you?" A voice interrupted the flurry of thoughts running through Elsa's mind.

"I'm meeting someone. I assume they're already here." She clutched her purse and kept her eyes on the hostess, hoping he wasn't at a nearby table watching the interaction.

"What's the name?" the hostess asked.

She paused for a moment, chewing her lip before swallowing thickly. Trying to push the memory of the last time they'd met face to face to the back of her mind. "Arendelle. Agdar Arendelle." His name alone sent a chill through her spine.

"Right this way. He's waiting for you in the back room." The hostess grabbed a menu and wine list and motioned for Elsa to follow her. At least the table was going to be in a more secluded area of the restaurant.

The further they walked the harder her heart pounded, until they reached a small room with a single table inside. She instinctively followed the hostess inside, forcing her eyes away from the man she knew was sitting there, waiting until they were alone before she let herself feel anything.

"Here are your menus and your server will be with you shortly to take your orders," she said as she smiled and left the two of them alone.

The room had become eerily silent as Elsa forced herself to turn on her heel and face her father. In an instant, the rage that had been building inside of her for who knows how long now, began to fall away as she looked into eyes of a man who was now frail and somehow much older looking than she last remembered. His once auburn hair was peppered with gray and thinning. His face was weathered and hollow, his eyes sunken and surrounded by dark circles.

As weak as he seemed he still managed to stand to greet her and she couldn't help but notice how thin he looked. This was no longer the man of power she once knew. This was a man who'd been consumed by illness and losing the battle for his life.

"Elsa." Even his voice was weak, but it still carried a hint of that tone she despised when he said her name. "Thank you for coming." He took a step forward and motioned for her to take a seat and she jerked away when he tried to rest a hand on her arm as he helped her to her seat. His eyes looked saddened by the exchanged and suddenly she was grateful that he'd requested a private room. This was going to be more awkward than she'd first anticipated. He recoiled his hand and tried again.

"Please, have a seat." His tone was slightly warmer this time, afraid she'd decided to call the whole thing off if he didn't make a more valiant effort. He'd run her out of his life once before and didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

She tentatively took a seat and set her bag next to the chair, her eyes searching his but she was unable to read them.

"I wasn't sure you were going to show." He comfortably rested his arms on the table and took a moment to look at her, really look at her. There was no sign of a child left on her face, she was a grown woman now. His heart ached when he realized how beautiful she'd become, how much time had passed. Her hair was still as long as ever was but it wasn't bound in the braid he was accustomed to seeing. It was a flowing sea of platinum loose curls, the color of which he never knew where had come from. He had always hoped for a son, someone who took after him and looked just like him. He after all he was the spitting image of his own father. One look at her and he knew he'd somehow missed out on something even more special. She was radiant and confident, comfortable in her own skin. Especially for someone who had just had a baby.

"I'm here now. What is it you want from me?" Direct and to the point, her eyes never breaking from his as she narrowed her gaze.

"You're angry. I can't hold that against you now can I? As you can see I'm...ill. I may have months or years left but either way I'm not responding to treatment as well as the doctors would like." He stopped when he saw her cross her arms and scowl at him with a look he'd never seen from her.

"So what is this? An atonement? You've come all this way to ask for my forgiveness, to say you're sorry because you're at death's door?" She wasn't so much as asking as she was accusing.

"No. I've come to tell you that...you were right."

Her eyes widened at his words. She thought she'd nailed him by calling him out on asking for forgiveness but now she was thrown. The tight pinched look of anger diminished as she waited from him to elaborate on just what exactly she was right about.

"You've never said it but I know how you feel, I know what you think of me. I'm not a good father. I know because I was the same father to you as my father was to me and I hated him for it. Only I wasn't strong enough to stand up to him, as you clearly did to me." He leaned in closer to the table and watched as she stared at him gobsmacked with her piercingly blue eyes.

"Everything I wanted for you, everything I tried to protect...is gone now anyways. At the end of the day I have nothing to show for my life and you...you have everything." He still sounded like the person she knew but couldn't believe what she was hearing.

A hand flew to her mouth and she tried to keep her composure as her front of anger quickly vanished, leaving her vulnerable as the sadness of the past began to creep back into her mind. He had just admitted he was wrong, that she was right and he was an awful father. He'd just confirmed every feeling she'd ever had about him and yet she didn't feel one bit better. In what should have been a moment of victory she instead felt broken.

As if there weren't a more awkward time for the waiter to come and take their order, Agdar quickly rattled his off followed by Elsa who ordered a simple salad. With all that was coming out, her stomach was twisting into too many knots to even think about eating at a time like this. Thankfully the waiter sensed the thickening tension within the room and left as quickly as he came, leaving the two to pick up where they left off after he poured Elsa her glass of much needed pinot noir.

Taking a giant gulp of the soothing red wine, Elsa cut right to the heart of her quandary as the warmth of alcohol spread out through her chest.

"When you say everything is gone...what exactly do you mean?" she asked with a sick sense of dread.

Agdar took a moment to adjust himself in his chair before clearing his throat, avoiding her steely gaze as he did so.

"I sold the company off a few years ago due to my declining health. It was a difficult decision but what's done is done. There was no other option." His eyes were still fixed on the perfectly polished silverware in front of him and he traced the lines of his fading mustache with a precise thumb and index finger.

Elsa's eyes narrowed as the statement rolled over her like water off a duck's back. "I'm aware of that. Besides that...what else?" encouraging him to be a little more forthright.

"Besides having my daughter gone for seven years?" his eyes lifting back up to find hers with a glint of sorrow in them.

"You know what I mean. Where _is she_?" her tone low and frighteningly serious, prompting a pause so long that Agdar had time to take a few sips from his Scotch as he took his sweet time savoring the smooth hints of oak and vanilla drowning out the bitterness rising at the back of his throat.

"After you left I had to explain what had happened and...she was upset. _Extremely_ upset and we had no way of contacting you after that. It's no secret that your mother and I have never had the kind of marriage she deserved but things were never the same after that. She fell into a depression. A deep depression. Said that I took you away from her. By Jul (Christmas) she was devastated, not having you there for the festivities and she simply told me that she was done. And she left me."

Elsa's lips parted and froze in disbelief, mouth agape as she suddenly realized she hadn't been alone in her suffering. Shock and anger seeped into her bones at the thought of her mother being heartbroken by his thoughtless actions, believing all these years that she'd just been too spineless to come after her.

"Y-you're divorced?" she stuttered.

"Legally separated so that I can still give her money. Though she stopped accepting it years ago."

"Where is she now?" shaking her head as she continued to try and absorb the monumental shock.

"She met someone a few years back and lives with him in Stavanger. He's in oil I believe." The look of regret and shame so evident on his face it was hard for her to ignore.

"That along with Pancreatic cancer and an eminent date with death, coupled with a grandbaby I've never met, I really have nothing left except for my wealth which leaves me very lonely." His lips pressed into a thin line and he sat back in his chair as Elsa continued to comprehend the drama his life had become in her absence.

Wracked with too many emotions to count the one thing that kept bubbling to the surface was remorse. Yes she was angry, so angry that her veins felt like molten lava flowing through her body but at the same time he seemed oddly aware of the utter devastation he'd caused. He'd created his own version of hell, alienating himself into a life of solitude where he now had to deal with a terminal illness with only hired help to ccare for him. No matter what he'd done she was a person of sympathy and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. His eyes held so much unspoken pain and despair behind them, almost like he was begging her to save him from himself knowing it was too late."You see, I've run everything that ever mattered to me out of my life." She could feel his words piercing her heart as the pain of the past came rushing back, flowing over whatever walls she still had up in defense.

"I miss you Elsa," the words felt like a bittersweet knife wound to the chest. Pain of what he'd done to make her leave met with pain of hearing him say how much he needed her and it consumed her entirely. A demure hand pressed against her lips as she fought to keep her tears back until a burning ember within reignited her anger, remembering and never forgetting that he'd brought this on himself. On both of them.

Her hand fell away as a look of disdain blazed across her rubicund face and she glared at him with a scornful eye.

"You miss me disappointing you? You miss controlling me...degrading me... _abusing_ me?" she seethed with a shaky voice, hands trembling in her lap.

His lips pursed, hearing her out as she let out everything she'd never had the courage to say before.

"You _know_ what you did to me. You know how you treated me, terrorized me. How can you come here and even have the courage to tell me you miss me? You wanted me gone and I left. And you _never_ came to find me. You wouldn't have even if you knew how to reach me."

"Elsa, I can never undo the past. I can never go back and change what I now know was wrong or how blind I was. My anger was always a monster I could never control, with my family putting an exorbitant amount of pressure on me to keep a company that had been in our family for generations thriving into the next century."

His voice was sincere but his answer just wasn't good enough for her, crossing her arms over her chest as she glowered at him with years of compounded indignation.

"Elsa listen to me. You can hate me forever, I'll understand. But in a few months at best, it won't matter. Even if you forgive me, I won't get to live long enough to make it up to you. I don't have the time to make it right. I only have now. I went to San Francisco to look into some new treatments but...it's not a possibility for me. My prognosis is _death_. And soon you'll be rid of me, just as you've always wanted."

Those last words caught her attention and snapped her out of her rage.

"What I want? What would you know about what _I want_? You think I'm that awful of a person that I would want you dead? You don't know anything about how I feel about you. I don't even know how you feel about me."

"I've always loved you and you know that," he answered unwaveringly, only to see hot tears pooling in her reddening eyes. Elsa's body felt like it was breaking out in an anger induced sweat, like a repressed fever of emotion was blooming across her fair skin.

"Do I? Did you love me when you called me _nothing_? Did you love when you burnt my work? Did you love when I asked you to kill me? When you ripped me from my family?" she shouted, blazing hot tears streaming down her face.

"Elsa stop, I'm sorry!" A bang of his hand on the table brought her out of her fury and she buried her face in her hands as something inside of her broke. A sharp gut wrenching pain cut through Agdar as he watched her quietly sob, seeing firsthand just how deeply he'd hurt her; even after all this time. He gave her a few minutes to gather herself, after which she flicked the tears from her face and swallowed back the overflow of emotions. She didn't come this far to break down in front of him and feel weak again, that wasn't what she wanted out of this and neither did Agdar.

"Where is this getting us? We're going in circles now. You can line me up in front of a firing squad and you still wouldn't be happy. Why would I come see you if I didn't care?" he asked, quieter this time.

The emotional upheaval had become too much for her and she simply shrugged in reply.

"In the time I have left can we not spend it spitting venom at each other, for once?" his voice pleading as he reached across the table for her hand. She looked at it, boney fingers so devoid of life and she couldn't get herself to lift her own hand; staring blankly at his offering as her breath mellowed.

"Please. Let's try," he asked softly, twitching his fingers in encouragement to join him.

This was that difficult part Anna had talked about. Yelling and screaming at him wasn't the worst part, it was the trust she was now being asked to put forth. The courage to put aside their differences and take that first step forward. He spoke to that part of her that wanted something more. Wanted something different. For one moment to have a father who cared, who loved her, and to put the past to rest. The glimpse of the man she'd seen on those rare occasions was now right in front of her and the tyrant of the past had vanished. But it wouldn't be easy. Her body refused to obey her command but she willed her hand to meet his as he clasped the small delicate hand within his own. They stayed there like that for a few seconds until an unexpected smile crept up on her face. That familiar warmth from his hands reminding her of the few decent times they shared together and the fire of her fury began to extinguish.

She sniffled once and smiled a bit more, body still recovering from the flare of raw emotions. Agdar replied by patting the top of their clasped hands with his other as she smiled wider before he let go.

Her hand immediately left his and went straight to her class of wine, taking back a mouth sized swallow and sniffeling before daring herself to take that giant step forward.

"What hotel are you staying at?" she asked casually, face brightening a little. She felt as if she were floating above her body and watching the strange interaction take place.

He chuckled a bit in reply. How odd that they were actually having a somewhat normal conversation after yelling at each other not but five minutes ago.

"The Davenport on Second Avenue," he replied warmly.

A surprised laugh escaped from Elsa and her smile broke out wide in irony.

"What's so funny?" he asked slightly confused.

"I helped design that hotel. Specifically the restaurant. That was all _mine_."

"I feel rather embarrassed to have to ask what it is you do. I'm ashamed to say I don't know anything about your life."

The image of the evening's events never included this kind of conversation and they were now venturing across unchartered waters, smooth and glasslike conditions unlike the stormy sea they'd left behind.

"I'm an architect," she beamed with pride. It felt so good to say to him.

She'd become one after all was his first thought. They were both silent for a moment and tried not to let their minds dip back into the past again. Fortunately their meal arrived and provided a nice distraction and the small talk continued much to their surprise. They were both seeing a whole new side of each other and it felt more like two adults talking than father and daughter.

"And you're married. Tell me about her. What's her name?" She found his eager sense of curiosity strangely appealing and decided to indulged him. After all it wasn't difficult for her to gush about Anna. Next to Lilly it was her favorite topic.

"Anna." Just saying her name brought a twinkle to her eye and the way she smiled to herself stole his attention. He'd never seen her smile like that before, so happy in an almost dreamful way.

"She's a teacher. We've been married for three years. I met her just after I came back from Norway. Right after...after..."

"I understand," saving her the awkwardness of bringing up that awful last time they saw each other. "She sounds lovely," he smiled before cutting into this food.

"You haven't even said anything about me marrying a woman. You said yourself you don't know anything about me and I'm guessing that meant you didn't know I was a lesbian. Why are you being so compliant about it?"

"To be honest your preference doesn't bother me. I wanted you to run the company. I didn't care who you ended up marrying. And you forget I caught you that one time...so I assumed."

She pursed her lips and nodded in reply, cheeks a little pink with embarrassment.

"Are you leaving out the best part on purpose?" he asked with a sly hint of a grin. "You're a mother now, yes?"

Again nodding in reply with a slightly wider smile.

"Do you have a photo?" he asked excitedly, setting down his knife and fork as he wiped his mouth with the corner of this napkin; the same refined way Elsa did so when she ate.

A moment of hesitation passed through her and she finally leaned over and retrieved her phone from her purse, swiping her way through various screens until she found a recent photo of Lilly where Elsa had managed to capture to that gummy smile of hers mid giggle.

Agdar didn't really know what to expect but his face melted when he laid eyes on the photo, bringing a curled hand to cover his mouth. White blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and he'd recognize those features anywhere.

"She's yours," he muttered, not meaning to out loud.

Her smile instantly fell. " _Ours._ My wife and I's," she corrected somewhat sternly.

"I'm sorry," throwing his hands up apologetically. "What's her name?" He took the phone from Elsa's long slim fingers and zoomed in on the photo; grin plastered on his face from ear to ear like a fool as he soaked in those adorable chubby cheeks and little button nose. She looked just Elsa and that filled his heart with a bittersweet joy.

"Lilly," she beamed in reply, also thinking of Anna in that moment.

"That's beautiful but I mean her full name."

"Lillian Elana Arendelle."

"Arendelle." The worst struck him like a thunderbolt, a welcomed one.

"Same as my wife," she added proudly. For some reason he'd assumed Elsa would have abandoned all ties to him, including their name. But this beautiful baby girl that seemed to jump off the screen was not only his flesh and blood but carried his family's name as well. In the seven years she'd been gone she'd started a whole new family of Arendelle's and they were more alike than different in a way now. He could see himself in her, in the best way. In that moment he was connected to something bigger, something powerful that made his heart throb with joy.

"Do you have one of you pregnant?" he asked politely. Elsa flipped to a photo of her from the day of their baby shower. A profile shot of her dressed in a soft pink dress, hands resting on the lower curve of her pregnant belly with a smile as bright as sunshine etched on her face.

"You look like your mother. Blonde but...so much like her." It was probably the most beautiful photo he'd ever seen of her, the look of pure happiness nearly bringing him to tears.

"Something tells me you won't be faced with quite as many regrets at the end of your life as I am but there comes a point when you know living for tomorrow isn't really an option anymore. You're forced to look back on your life and find some sense of meaning. Anything that helps you understand that you've done something, at least one thing good. One thing that will live on long after you've perished. This is it. Even if I had the company, it's not the thing I'd like to leave as my legacy. That lesson took me my entire life to learn and the price was severe. I had made peace with the idea that I'd probably never see you again, and I could leave this world knowing that something good would live on."

He paused to take a breath, emotions taking a toll on him as well.

"And when I found out you were pregnant…" Too gripped with emotion to finish his sentence. "My wife and my daughter...despise me...but a part of you...a part of _me_ that hasn't suffered from my mistakes...exists." His lips pressed together and his chin quivered in a way she'd never witnessed before. "Just seeing you is enough. You don't have to forgive me and I know you'll never forget."

Their eyes locked on each other as Agdar continued.

"I know I don't deserve it but it doesn't mean I want it any less. I'm a terrible father but for the small amount of time left, I could be a good grandfather. If you let me."

Her hand pressed back against her mouth and she thought long and hard. He'd been cruel to her no doubt but what did she gain by doing the same to him?

"You can come tomorrow," she said softly, prompting him to lift his back away from the chair in attention.

"Tomorrow?" he asked in disbelief.

"To see my daughter. Yes," she clarified, still hesitant but something within her was pushing her forward, almost like she was running on autopilot.

"Elsa...I," his mouth hung open, silenced and astonished by her compassion he knew he was undeserving of.

"Don't say anything more or I may change my mind."

* * *

That night Elsa recovered in bed wrapped in Anna's arms as her mind raced with a sleet of emotions. Anna held her close and gently stroked her hair, kissed her on her forehead and whispered loving words to her until she fell asleep.

Miles away at his towering hotel, Agdar sat in an opulent leather chair, admiring the view of the twinkling city lights from the restaurant Elsa had designed. Quiet and still, he sat and let his eyes follow every line of the room. From the massively tall windows to the flowing curves of the inset ceiling, not a detail went unnoticed as he took it all in. It was impressive, stunning, and it nearly brought him to tears.

Her talent was so evident in every inch of the room and his heart stung when he noticed bits of detailing eerily resembling parts of his own home. His face was long, slack with guilt and sadness over what he'd tried to snuff out. Elsa's spirit and talent was greater than anything he had ever imagined. It was bigger than him only he'd been too blind to see it.

The lights began to dim and a young man tapped him on the shoulder to announce the restaurant was closing, to which Agdar handed to the man a thick stack of hundreds and requested it stay open just a half hour more. Alone within the walls of his only daughter's creation, he admired her beauty and grace from a distance and felt proud of something he knew he had nothing to stake claim in.


	38. Chapter 38

It was the first official day of winter and Agdar slowly turned to look past the Christmas decorations scattered throughout the room to see the snow gently falling into thick blankets across the tree-lined hillside. Outside, the Chateau had about two feet of snow on the roof and every spruce tree in sight was covered in powder fine snow. It had been falling so consistently that the midwife even had a difficult time getting to the massive estate in time for the birth.

Idunn cursed Agdar repeatedly for having them stay in their summer home in the dead of winter but he insisted that his first child be born in same home he and his father had been. Granted they had conveniently been born in the summer but he wasn't a man to break tradition no matter what the circumstances were.

After hours of agonizing labor the baby finally arrived and Agdar was called to his wife's side to meet the new arrival. Idunn had an exuberant look of tired joy on her face as she held the tiny new life in a soft white blanket with an 'E' embroidered on it. He kissed his wife gently on her forehead and folded back the blanket to meet the daughter they'd eagerly been waiting for.

His smile twisted for a moment when she saw blinding white blonde hair looking back at him, neither of which him or his wife shared.

"She's blonde," he said, sounding surprised.

"Yes but she's beautiful," Idunn whispered softly as she placed a kiss on the baby's alabaster skin.

"She couldn't have picked a better day to be born on. She's as white as the snow on the ground," Agdar chuckled as his wife handed him the swaddled baby. This little girl had big shoes to fill but for that moment he just let himself be happy, lost in her sparkling blue eyes so reminiscent of his wife's.

"What's her name?" the midwife asked.

Agdar shared a smile with his wife, enjoying their long held secret for one last second before proclaiming her to the world.

"Elsa."

* * *

Needing a little extra time to recover from the night before, Elsa made arrangements for her father to come in the afternoon. It was also the time when Lilly would be in the best mood but on this day she had other plans and dozed off an hour before Agdar was supposed to arrive.

"It'll be fine. We can talk and I can get to know him a little better while we wait for her to wake up," Anna said cheerfully to a fretting Elsa as she watched her pace back and forth in the kitchen, blonde braid wiping over her shoulder with each turn.

The dinner had ended on a well enough note but having her father in her own home gave her an entirely new set of issues to worry about. Opening up her home was almost the same as opening up her heart. Her home wasn't just something she designed, built, and paid for. It housed everything that was important to her. She kept seeing images of Agdar walking through their home, past their wedding photos and witnessing everything he'd missed out on over the past seven years and didn't know how that would affect either one of them. She was still grappling with the onslaught of feelings brought on by their reunion and it was all happening so fast. But there was no other choice. It had to happen fast because the sand was about to run out of her father's hour glass. Hesitation meant missing the chance altogether at this point.

To help calm herself, Elsa went up to the nursery where Lilly was swaddled up in her crib completely passed out. How one little person could look so peaceful she'd never know. Lilly's little bottom lip was pooched out over the top one as she breathed against the tight muslin fabric wrapped around her. Elsa leaned over the rail of the crib and gently stroked the side of Lilly's blushed cheek, letting her love for her baby vanquish any remaining nerves. Just being near Lilly made Elsa's heart beat faster, her smile stretch wider, and her cheeks warm with that motherly glow. And something inside of her felt good knowing that Lilly might have the same effect on her father. That she might give him one last moment of joy before he left this world.

"Elsa there's a car here," Anna called from downstairs.

Elsa hurried downstairs and they looked outside the window to see the nicest black stretch limousine Anna had ever seen pull up alongside the curb.

"Why did he come in a limo? Is that what he normally drives around in?" scrunching her brows as her breath fogged against the window.

"No. Usually a town car or something. Strange. Maybe it was all he could get last minute." They both continued to stare until the driver rounded the limo, jumping away from the window as Anna quickly fixed her hair and outfit.

"How do I look?" she said in a tizzy. Anna was always extra adorable when she was flustered about meeting new people.

"Beautiful, as always. Seven years of being with me and you're finally meeting one of my parents. Never thought I'd see the day."

Agdar slowly made his way to the door and smiled to himself when he read a note on the door that said, "Baby napping, please knock," to which he did. A nice tight hug from Anna helped settle any last minute nerves Elsa was having before she opened the door to find her father holding a beautiful arrangement of bright of pink roses and fully opened white lilies.

"Afternoon," he greeted in a genteel manner. "These are for the lovely new mothers. Lilies for their Lilly." Anna's jaw nearly dropped at how dashing Elsa's father was in person. Yes he looked ill but it was clear where Elsa had inherited at least some of her good looks from. Not only was he very debonair but he had come bearing flowers of their daughter's name and Anna was having a hard time correlating this man to the one she had heard so many awful things about.

"Hallo far (hello father)," Elsa said as she leaned in to accept his formal kiss against her cheek. Anna stood by still entranced by the interaction. They acted like no time had passed at all and also appeared to be getting along quite well, though Anna knew Elsa well enough to know there was an awkwardness underneath her actions.

"Please come in. Let me take these from you." Elsa took the sleek glass vase from Adgar and moved to make way for him to come inside. Once he came inside the gorgeous home he saw a slightly shorter redhead, excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet with her hands clamped in front of her. She was biting on her bottom lip as she stood there with her strawberry fine hair divided into two long braids, which he greatly approved of.

"Oh hi, I'm Anna," she said and politely held out her hand to shake Adgar's. Her aura was simply enchanting and he could instantly see why Elsa was so smitten with the bubbly redhead.

"Extremely pleased to meet you Anna. Thank you for having me." He was eloquent and charming, leaving no doubt in her mind as to where Elsa got her poise and regalness from. She could hardly believe this was the same man she'd heard horror stories about but if Elsa wasn't reacting negatively then neither was she. She was going to be the best daughter-in-law and make him proud of Elsa if nothing else.

"Why don't I let Anna show you to the living room and I'll go see if Lilly is awake." As uncomfortable as it might have been for the two of them to be left alone, Elsa wanted to give them a brief chance to get to know each other while also allowing her to handle Lilly herself.

Anna gave Agdar a tour of the first floor as they ambled their way into the living room, taking in all the grandeur of Elsa's finely constructed home. She invited him to sit anywhere he liked and tried to hide her expression when he sat in exact same lone chair Elsa had revealed her awful past to Anna in not but four months prior. She never imagined he'd actually be in the very same room about to hold their baby such a short time later, especially since it took seven years just to get Elsa to open up about everything.

Chipper as always, Anna bounced onto the sofa next to him, hands excitedly placed on her bobbing knees as she shifted her eyes about the room not entirely sure where to put them. Adgar was calm and sat like a well sculpted statue with one leg crossed over his knee. He was so refined and stoic that Anna felt like she was entertaining a dignitary but it was just Elsa's father.

They sat in silence for a moment as Agdar admired the room, hues of blue scattered throughout and he chuckled expecting nothing less from Elsa. Blue seemed to follow that girl wherever she went.

"I'm curious because I don't really know but does Elsa seem different at all than you remember? More specifically does she seem American?" Anna asked nervously. She couldn't think of anything else to ask in the moment but was also curious to know more about the pre-Anna Elsa.

He chuckled warmly before uncrossing his legs and settling more comfortably into the chair.

"She does seem to have taken on some American mannerisms but I can still see the same Elsa in her." His eyes flickered down to his hands and he toyed with the wedding ring still on his frail finger, smiling to himself. "She seems...much happier now. I guess that's because of you." Anna smiled and gave a shy shrug. Of course her happiness was due to Anna. She was an infectious ball of love and energy. "Can I ask you the same thing? What is it you like about her?" hoping to get more insight into the person she'd grown into since becoming a wife and mother.

Anna's face grew serious, pleasant but still solemn. "She's amazing. Very loving and kind, and so talented. She's smarter than me for sure. And she's a really good mother." She paused and let her eyes meet Agdar's. "I love her very much, more than anything. And I'm the one who encouraged her to see you yesterday. I know you probably come with only good intentions...but if you hurt her...ever again, it will break her forever and I just can't have that."

"Only good intentions, I promise," nodding his head in respect.

"Hyggelig å møte deg," Anna blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

"Hyggelig å treffe deg (nice to meet you). I forgot to say it when you came in."

"You speak Norwegian?"

"Littegrann (a little). Elsa just started teaching me when we had Lilly. They will be able to speak to each other and she didn't want me to feel left out. It's not as hard as I thought."

"She speaks Norwegian?"

"Just recently. To be honest I only heard her speak it a little before she got pregnant. She misses Norway...a lot. There's no snow here and I know she misses that too."

Off in the distance light footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs and Agdar straightened his back in anticipation. Still swaddled in her naptime blanket, Elsa held Lilly firmly in her arms, heart racing slightly as she made her way into the living room and stood just to the side of her father. The moment was harder than she'd imagined. She'd only let a few people hold her baby but she'd never stalled to do so like she was doing now. Lilly was her most precious treasure, the most important and beloved person in her life and here she was about to hand her over to her father; the man who had once been the sole source of her misery and suffering.

But she couldn't see that man. All she could see was a smiling grandfather with his arms itching to reach out and hold his tiny granddaughter for the first time.

"Elsa, it's okay," Anna assured, knowing she was having a difficult time letting go.

Elsa glanced down at Lilly, sleepy but smiling up a storm, and she took a deep breath before leaning over to place her gently into her father's outstretched arms.

"This is Lilly," she said softly, adjusting Lilly's head into the crook of his arm and she could practically feel the joy radiating off of him like a heat lamp.

"Hallo Lilly (Hello Lilly). Jeg er din bestefar (I'm your grandfather)." A glowing blush bloomed across his finely chiseled features as his eye's met with his granddaughter's for the first time. His heart swelled with elation and warmed in a way he hadn't felt in a very long time. Lilly was nothing less than an angel, everything about her was perfect to him.

"It feels good to hold a baby again. It's been twenty-seven years but it's amazing how it seems like just yesterday." Elsa was still standing next to them, watching her father get lost in the ocean of Lilly's baby blues that reminded him of the same piercing blue eyes that had captured his heart on that snowy winter day so long ago.

Elsa often thought about how it must have felt for him to hold her for the first time and now she had an idea. It warmed her heart to know that they at least started out with love between them, even if it faded into the background over time. It was strange and yet joyfully overwhelming to see him so caring and affectionate with Lilly, a stark contrast from the man of her childhood.

"Does she look like Elsa as a baby?" Anna kept asking all the questions everyone was thinking but she was the only one who didn't have some strange emotional turmoil preventing her from saying them out loud.

Elsa already knew the answer to the question, she'd seen photos of herself and knew they were strikingly similar, but she wanted to hear what her father thought. How it felt to be repeating history in a way. To flashback to a time when the world was full of possibilities and his anger hadn't driven a wedge between them.

His bright green eyes drifted up to Elsa and then back down to Lilly, comparing every last detail but there weren't many differences that stood out to him. Lilly was so similar that Agdar could only nod in agreement at first before finally being able to express that wonderful but eerie feeling of having a version of his daughter cradled in his arms.

"Yes. They look extremely similar. This little one smiles a lot. Elsa smiled too but she was so very calm and still for a baby. She always had this look like she knew more than us. Lilly has that but she's...I don't know how else to say it but it reminds me of Anna in a way. Full of life."

If Lilly was going to be different from Elsa in any way, it filled her heart with joy to know that it was because of Anna. How special it was to be blessed with one mother's looks and hints of the other's personality. She truly had the some of the best parts of both of them mixed with her own uniqueness.

All eyes stayed on Agdar and the giant grin plastered across his face but his eye remained locked on Lilly. She giggled and cooed, making smiley faces as she played with her tongue and yawned occasionally. Every little thing she did sent his heart soaring. She was feather light, almost nothing at all but her warmth was so comforting; like a little heater. And she smelt so fresh and good; an indescribable smell only very young babies possessed and he could remember the feeling it gave him when Elsa had that same smell. It felt like yesterday that he had her curled up on his chest in front of a roaring fire, watching the snow gently fall outside as Idunn took photo after photo. It was probably the happiest time in their marriage before everything fell apart. Elsa had brought them closer together and in a strange twist of fate Lilly was now bringing him and Elsa closer together. Except it was Anna who grabbed her camera this time and was snapping an endless stream of photos.

"Can I unwrap this? I just want to get a better look at her," Agdar asked politely, pointing to the fluffy blanket Lilly was still wrapped in.

"Yeah here, let me take this off." Elsa worked around his hold on Lilly and removed the blanket, exposing her tiny little body. Narrow arms and legs kicked and curled as Lilly squealed at her new found freedom. Agdar chuckled as Lilly continued to put on the cutest display of smiles and giggles, wondering how he was ever going to be able to let her go.

"Do you want to feed her? I made a bottle just in case you wanted to. She usually eats after nap," Elsa offered, still getting used to this causal form of conversation they had going.

"I would really like that," he beamed in reply.

Anna stayed behind in the living room while Elsa warmed the bottle and returned with a burp cloth to protect Agdar's casual but still very expensive clothes.

"So just prop her up like this and this bottle is especially designed to reduce trapped air so you don't have to worry about how you hold it. And then you can place the burp cloth here…" Elsa rambled, falling into overprotective mother mode.

"Elsa. I know what I'm doing. Once upon a time I had a baby and fed you the same way," he said in an endearing tone, making sure she knew he wasn't trying to be rude.

"Of course." She shook her head, remembering that she herself was proof he'd done this before; with the help of nannies and night nurses but still.

Anna joined Elsa by her side and suggested that they give the two a little bonding time alone, being that this may be one of the few times he got to spend with Lilly. After some thought Elsa relented and made sure Agdar was comfortable before following Anna into the kitchen.

"Er du sulten Lilly (are you hungry Lilly)? Agdar said in a lighthearted tone, slightly higher than his normal speaking voice. Lilly had that effect on people. She no more than saw the bottle and opened her mouth wide in hunger.

"Her kommer den (here it comes)." As soon as he popped the bottle into her mouth Lilly started sucking down the milk, keeping her enormously big blue eyes fixed on her grandfather as she grasped his finger with her tiny hand . Adgar was so warm with emotion and he physically couldn't feel a twinge of pain in Lilly's presence. He didn't feel weak or tired. He felt alive, as if Lilly made his heart beat a little faster with more vigor and verve. He didn't need to die to know what heaven felt like because he was already there with his grandbaby.

Over in the kitchen Anna tried to calm Elsa's nerves about leaving Lilly alone with her father. She wasn't so much concerned about him in particular it's just that Elsa was very protective of Lilly and had a hard time handing her over to people. Anna couldn't really blame her, they'd been together for nine months straight and Lilly probably felt like an extension of Elsa in some ways. She hadn't even been the one to carry her and she felt the same way but she also knew that Agdar needed this time alone. If anything, it was healing for both of them.

Lilly was halfway through her bottle and her eyes were starting to get heavy when Agdar heard some giggling in the kitchen. He leaned over the arm of the chair to look down the narrow corridor connecting the two rooms and could see Elsa and Anna standing just behind the island in the kitchen, arms wrapped around each other and Anna gave Elsa a small kiss on the end of her nose before kissing her properly on the mouth. For once, Adgar wasn't angry when he caught his daughter kissing a woman, he was overjoyed. She really did have everything. A home and a life she built on her own without his help and a loving partner to share her life with. But more than that she had real love. He could see it in the she way smiled when she was with Anna and in the way they interacted, like they were meant to be.

With Lilly fading faster than the milk in the bottle Agdar figured she'd probably had enough. From the kitchen Elsa secretly watched as her father, without prompting, spread the burp cloth over his shoulder and patted Lilly gently on the back as he burped her. He seemed strangely familiar and comfortable handling a baby and her chest tightened a bit knowing it was because of her. A long time ago it had been Elsa propped over his shoulder, lovingly patting her on the back the same way he was doing now.

"Shhh. He's talking to her," Elsa whispered to Anna as they listened in on Agdar and Lilly's conversation.

"Lilly visste du at i Norge så finnes det en blomst som heter liljekonvall. De vokser ved foten av fjellet og i skogen også. Det er en vakker blomst, veldig skjør med små hvite klokker som henger fra en enkel stilk. Slik en vakker blomst for en så vakker jente tror du ikke (Lilly, did you know in Norway there's a flower called Lily of the valley? They grow at the foothills of mountains and in the woods as well. It's a beautiful flower, very delicate with little white bells that hang from a single stem. Such a beautiful flower for such a beautiful girl don't you think)," his voice rising higher as Lilly drifted off to sleep.

"Du bør komme til Norge, og jeg skal ta deg med for å se dem, akkurat som jeg gjorde med din mor (You should come to Norway and I'll take you to see them, just like I did with your mother)."

Back in the kitchen Elsa was smiling, nearly crying at their sweet exchange while English speaking Anna was still in the dark about what was happening.

"What did he say?" Anna whispered.

"He's talking about taking her to see Lily of the valley in Norway," her face gleaming at the memory of Adgar taking her to the mountains when she was only four. "I think he likes that name."

Anna's face lit up, not that she needed Agdar's approval, but him having an emotional link to Lilly's name made everything seem to come full circle for her. It was her mother's name and yet it plucked his heartstrings as well.

"I should go check on them," Elsa said as she tip-toed back into the living room where Lilly was fast asleep on Agdar's broad chest, blanket lazily draped over to keep her extra warm.

"If you want I can put her down. You don't have to stay like that," Elsa whispered to Agdar.

"No. I wouldn't want to be any place else right now. I just want to hold her as much as I can, if that's alright."

"Yeah it's fine," she replied with a smile, turning to head back to the kitchen.

"Wait. Stay and talk with me a little," he called quietly.

Some part of her had been questioning whether or not Agdar had just done all of this so that he could see Lilly but she was starting to understand he wanted to see her as well. Elsa curled up on the couch and Anna made herself scarce so that they could chit chat about work, being married, and all the other things about his daughter he'd missed out on.

At one point, without saying a word, Anna came in and plopped a few photo albums down on the coffee table for Elsa to show her father, including their wedding album. It was hard to open her life up to him, still feeling a part of him didn't deserve it, but there was something inside her craving to fill the black hole of time that existed between them. Every time she shared something with him it was met with a doting smile and she could feel her heart healing, scars fading where pain had once existed.

She told him about her projects in Dubai, the death of Anna's parents, and even their struggle with Anna's infertility. They talked more in that time than they probably had in their whole lives and Agdar found himself admiring his daughter more than ever before. She truly was an amazing woman, despite what he'd put her though. Guilt still panged his heart but he felt a great sense of relief knowing she was going to be okay.

Tears pricked Agdar's eyes each time Elsa flipped the page of a photo album, especially their wedding photos. She looked positively heavenly in her sparkling white dress, hair and makeup perfectly done but all that was washed to the wayside by the gleaming smile on her face. Even though his heart was heavy with guilt, it comforted him to know that while both girls' fathers were absent on their special day, they had each other. While Adgar's life was falling apart, Elsa had been building one of her own. A life filled with happiness and joy he had never been able to give her.

"Elsa I need to ask you something. I don't know if there will be another chance to discuss the issue but...I want to leave you my assets. Everything. It's yours if you want it...but I have a feeling you won't accept it," he said dolefully.

Elsa smiled gently before shaking her head. It was tempting but they really didn't it. Most of all, she didn't want money from a company that had been the driving force of her father's rage. "No. You're right. I can't accept it."

"But what about for Lilly, your family? If they need something-"

"- I will provided it. I can more than manage," she said politely, feeling proud that she could show him just how capable she was.

With only an hour left until Adgar had to leave and catch his flight back home, Elsa had one last thing she needed to do.

"Before you go...I want to show you something." Agdar's face tightened at the turmoil on Elsa's fair features.

She led him to the door she'd battled with herself to open so many times before. This time she effortless turned the knob and led Agdar down into the dimly basement. He ducked his head and made his way down the stairs as his eyes adjusted and scanned across room, stopping at Elsa who was standing arms crossed in from of a stack of plain white boxes.

"Don't be mad but these are things I took back with me. Everything I could carry that was important to me. For the longest time my entire past was encapsulated within these boxes. I've been with Anna for seven years. Do you know when the first time I opened these with her was?"

"No," he replied softly.

"Four months ago. Seven years it took me to tell my wife everything I lived through. About you...about me. The scars you left me with were... _are_...so painful that I kept it inside for that long. From my own wife, whom I love and trust more than anyone."

Tears threatened to fall but Elsa bit them back, her eyes softly floating up to meet his.

"You hurt me. And I never thought in a million years you'd be standing here...in my home. A home I worked for and built on my own. With talent you tried to eradicate. Every day you tried to stop me. You tried to stop me from becoming who I was, who I could be. And for a while I felt like I was dying a little more each day but now I know it wasn't just me you were hurting. You hurt yourself too. You destroyed anything that ever could have been between us. And as much I resent you and even fear you, somewhere deep inside I still love you.

"This whole thing, the reason why I wanted you to come was because I needed to know one thing. I need to know how you feel about me. How you could have done the things you did if you loved me. Because after everything the only conclusion I can come to is that you never have. I can never forget what's happened and maybe one day I can forgive but none of that matters now because...you won't be here much longer. And I only have this time. This precious time right now to put the pieces back together and feel whole again."

Adgar was now a victim of his inability to control his own demons. While Elsa had always exhibited too much control and locked her emotions away, Agdar had little control and unleashed his insecurities on his most precious daughter. And now it was too late for him to take back what he had done. His time was up and he could only stand there utterly helpless in front of his heartbroken daughter and ache from his mistakes.

He stepped closer to her, wrapping his hands around her upper arms and noticing how small and childlike she appeared before him; her face still gripped with the pain of the past.

"You were everything I wasn't brave enough to be and it scared me." His hands cradled her face as tears began to roll down her cheeks, quickly brushed away by a caress of this thumbs.

"Jeg beklager."

(I'm sorry)

"Jeg beklager jenta mi."

(I'm sorry my girl)

"Jeg elsker deg."

(I love you)

"Jeg har alltid elsket deg."

(I have always loved you)

Elsa cried harder as he pulled her in to hold her, letting her sob against his chest as he kissed the top of her head. It was the healing moment she'd been longing for, so painful yet so freeing. Everything Anna had told her it would be and more.

When the tears had dried Elsa led Agdar back up the stairs and to the entryway where Anna was waiting for them.

"Before I go I have some things for Lilly. If you don't mind I'll have the driver bring them in."

Curious they both nodded their heads in unison and watched Agdar whistle to the driver. Over the next few minutes it became abundantly clear why he'd arrived in a limo as the driver stacked box after box in the entryway.

"Wha-what is all this?" Elsa asked, looking around the mountains of boxes that had sprung up around her.

"As soon as you said I could see her I got a little excited and cleared out the nearest baby boutique. Everything a little girl could want and more. There's a few that are marked. Things I won't be able to give her when she's older but I thought it would be nice if you keep them. Then she'll still be able to get a gift from me on her birthday or Christmas...long after I'm gone."

Elsa looked down at the box nearest her marked _16\. Bursdag_ (16th birthday) and was swept away by a wave of emotion brought on by the kindest and sweetest gesture she ever seen from him.

"Some I brought from home, just in case I _did_ get to see her. And I'm glad I did. There's even a few for you to open after I leave." He took a deep breath before he continued. "You don't have to give an answer now but I want you to come home for Jul (Christmas). Bring Anna and of course Lilly. I'll make it the best first Christmas you've ever seen. Let me give you a happy Christmas memory for once," his hand brushing against Elsa's shoulder.

"I'll think about it," Elsa said before asking him one last thing. "How do I find her?" tugging at his sleeve before he made his way over to Anna. She'd reunited with her father but this journey wasn't complete until she got in touch with her mother as well.

"Call Kai. He has all of her information." Elsa nodded and let it go at that.

The day had gone by far too fast and it was time for Agdar to catch his flight back home. Elsa took Lilly from Anna so that they could say their goodbyes.

"I'm really glad this happened. And I'm so glad I got to meet you, finally." Anna tried not cry, she always got so emotional with goodbyes.

"Me too," Adgar replied sweetly and Anna hugged him, whether he wanted to or not he was getting a hug. Adgar welcomed her with open arms and gave her a tight squeeze.

"Take care of her, please. Both of them," he whispered into Anna's ear and she couldn't hold back her tears anymore, letting a few race down her smiling cheeks.

"I will."

Next was Lilly whom Elsa placed in her grandfather's arms. He kissed her on both of her cheeks and once on that button nose passed straight down from her mother.

"Bli hva du ønsker å være min kjære (be whatever you want to be my darling). Bare husk å være lykkelig (but remember to be happy). Ikke gi din mor for hardt av gangen (don't give your mother too hard of a time)."

It was difficult, so difficult to let go of Lilly but he knew he had to. He placed her gently into Anna's arms and she took a few steps back to give him and Elsa some privacy. His eyes tried desperately to memorize her face, the way it was just in this moment. Her bottom lip kept tucking into her mouth and her chin quivered, holding back the sadness she never predicted she'd have to see her father go. As he looked at her tears began to roll down her flushed cheeks and his lips frowned at the sight. Before one more tear could be shed he grabbed her and pulled her into his embrace, holding her head tight against his chest.

"Ikke gi din mor for hardt av gangen (Don't ever forget that I love you)."

As painful as it was, he eventually had to let go. Like a magnet pulled by an uncontrollable force, Elsa followed him down the driveway as he got into the limo, turning to wave and blow her a kiss before the driver pulled away and drove out of sight.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked as Elsa walked meagerly back into the house.

Unsure of what was happening, Elsa collapsed to the floor and let everything go. She let every last twinge of pain flow out of her with every tear like a restless river rushing to the calm of the sea. The sweet release of years of emotional torture was beautiful and devastatingly crushing at the same time and Anna could only hold Elsa and Lilly as it all unfolded. This had been a long time coming and Anna was patient, ever so patient as a rainbow of emotions poured out from her sweet wife.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Warning: major character death.**

* * *

After Agdar had left and was well on his way back home, Elsa patiently watched the clock on her nightstand like a hawk until the time change between her and Norway aligned just right so that she could call Kai and then her mother.

It was nearing eleven and would have been a perfect time to call but at the moment she was in bed enjoying a nursing session with Lilly laying peacefully in between her and Anna. Soft motherly hands took turns stroking Lilly's silken blonde hair, relishing the attention as she savored her last feeding for the night. With all that had gone on, Elsa was quite content in the moment, eyes shifting between her precious daughter and beautiful wife as she sighed pleasantly against her pillow.

"You sure you want to call her tonight? It's been kind of an eventful day already and I don't want you to overdo it," Anna asked cautiously, keeping her voice low as Lilly's eyes were getting heavier with each suckle. A tiny dropplet of milk dribbled down her little chin when she finally pulled off and Elsa lovingly dabbed it away with a burp cloth as Lilly drifted off into a milk coma.

"Yes I'm positive. I need closure and I can't bear to leave her feeling like it has been a minute longer. This time I can see it from a mother's point of view and I would want to hear from my daughter as soon as possible once she knew how to contact me. It's different. She's not like your mom but she is more caring and affectionate than my father. And she had to be miserable all those years as well."

Anna didn't say anything more and simply nodded and smiled warmly in reply. Sometimes she just needed to let Elsa do what she wanted and support her. Telling her what to do was futile at a time like this and she wasn't going to be swayed. But before anyone did anything, a duet version of _You are My Sunshine_ was sung to Lilly while wrapped in both of her mommies' arms before being put down in the bassinet and thoroughly kissed goodnight.

Emotionally and physically exhausted from the day Anna decided to stay with Lilly and call it a night, giving Elsa the privacy she needed to call Kai and get her mother's phone number.

The entire downstairs floor was dead silent except for the ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room. Elsa cozied up on the couch and dialed the long string of numbers with a slight smile tugging the corners of her mouth. This reunion was a little more heartwarming but still bittersweet and she was actually looking forward to hearing her mother's voice.

"Good morning," an unrecognizable deep voice answered, shaking Elsa at first until she remembered that the person on the other end must be her mother's… boyfriend… husband… companion? She really had no idea what to call him or even how to feel about it and quickly tried to summon her nicest phone voice.

"Good morning. I'm calling for Idunn Arendelle," she said in her typically sweet voice.

"May I ask who's calling?" he replied in that casual phone banter sort of way.

"Elsa Arendelle."

There was a long pause and Elsa was about to ask if the man was still there when his voice came back over the line.

"I'm sorry did you say _Elsa Arendelle_?" his tone lifting into one of disbelief and Elsa could hear her mother frantically asking questions in the background.

"Yes, I'm her daughter," she clarified. The enjoyment of the call was suddenly put on hold as Elsa waited nervously on the other end.

"Let me get her for you." Elsa could hear mother still trying to figure out what was going on but was interrupted by the man telling her to just answer the phone and say hello, as if she was so flustered she needed instructions on how to take a phone call.

"Hello?" Idunn finally said. It was as if her voice reached out and gripped Elsa's heart right through her chest. No matter what their relationship had been like in the past, Elsa knew her mother had been living in misery without her and in a strange way that gave her the validation she needed to know that she would have never sided with her father and let her go like he did.

"Mother…" the word hanging off the tip of her tongue as her breath caught in her throat, emotions rising to the surface once again. "...it's me...Elsa."

The rest of what her mother said was vaguely incoherent and she could only make out her own name between gasps of shock and tears of joy.

"Elsa, is it really you?" she asked through her sobs. The sound of a mother's jubilation was something Elsa could now understand and her own eyes were glassy from the overwhelming joy to hear her so happy after years of separation.

"It's really me mother. And it's a long story how I came to find you but...if you have the time I have much to tell you." Her grin grew wider, nearly reaching her ears as she thought of all the wonderful things she had to share with her; knowing she would probably be a little sad that she missed out on so much but that wasn't really Elsa's fault in the end. It was Agdar who had deprived both of them of everything but that was over now. Now was the time to patch the holes of times and heal the wounds of yesterday.

"I have all the time in the world," Idunn cried. "I have all the time in the world for you."

It was nearly one in the morning when Anna was awoken by laughing and random flits of quickly spoken Norwegian coming from downstairs. Curious, she tip-toed out to the top of the stairs and couldn't understand what Elsa was saying but recognized that girly happy tone that only a conversation between mother and daughter could produce. She missed being able to talk to her own mom that way a lot of the time and it gladdened her heart that Elsa hadn't missed out on her chance to do so once again.

Elsa had spent the past two hours telling her mother about her amazing journey into the career of her dreams, marriage, and motherhood while trying not to miss a single detail in between. Several times throughout the phone call Idunn would express how she couldn't believe this was really happening and Elsa hand to remind that it in fact was.

She cried happy tears as she pictured Elsa in her beautiful white wedding dress and sad tears at the thought of no one being there to walk either of them down the eisle. Though Elsa had assured her that nothing made her more happy that day than when the two of them held hands, elaborate bouquets clutched in the other, and walked eachother down the eisle instead.

Anna sat and made herself comfortable on the bottom step of the stairs, continuing to enjoy the sounds of Elsa's elation as her and her mother gushed about Lilly; how she looked just like Elsa but had a dash of Anna's spunk as well. She could hear the change in Elsa's voice. She was not only happier but wiser, continuing to amaze Idunn with her maturity and timeless grace. It made her mother so very proud to know Elsa had blossomed into a wonderful woman who was in a loving and healthy relationship, complete with a baby that only seemed to bring them closer together.

The phone call ended with plans for Idunn to possibly come visit. It was all Elsa could do to keep Idunn from getting on a plane right then but like Idunn said, they had all the time in the world now. Still grinning from ear to ear Elsa was lost in her reverie that she stumbled over Anna still crouched in a ball on the stairs.

"When did you get there?" she asked with a giggle and picked herself up from where she'd crashed down over Anna.

"Not long and don't worry. I have no idea what you said...but it sounded good," her coy teal eyes smirking at Elsa as she bit back a yawn.

"Yes. All good," she beamed. Elsa wasn't just happy, she was positively glowing. She could have been mad at her mother; she had every right to be. All those years Idunn could have stopped Agdar but Elsa needed to feel like she belonged to something that connected her to her past and gave her life greater meaning. For so many years, even though she had Anna, she had felt so abandoned and shunned her family that she now craved to have that sense of belonging. She also needed a mother's advice on so many things now that she was one herself and Idunn had been more than helpful with the few things they talked about concerning motherhood. She'd been thrilled to find out she was a grandmother and of course was sad she missed out on the pregnancy and birth but was so grateful to have not missed out on it all together.

"You look so happy. You've been crying and smiling this whole day and I can't tell you how good it feels to see you ending the day smiling."

Elsa sat down next to Anna, grin growing even wider if that was possible, and pulled Anna onto her lap so that she was straddling her; hands running fervently up and down the curve of Anna's back as she looked deep into her eyes.

"You make me most happy. This would have never happened if you hadn't encourage me to put things in motion. I owe everything to you," Elsa said softly, letting her hands move to cup Anna's face and kiss her with a love so pure and refined. "I love you so much. I love you my Anna."

Anna wrapped her legs around Elsa's waist and crossed them at the ankle, pulling Elsa deeper into their kisses as they showered each other with love and affection.

"We should go to bed. We have Kristoff in the morning and it's almost two," Anna groaned.

"You're right," Elsa bemoaned in reply as she slowly stood up. "Come here," she said playfully, pulling Anna up by her hands and against her body.

"What are you doing?" cocking a russet brow at her mischievous wife.

"I'm not pregnant anymore so that means I can do this-" sweeping Anna off her feet into a bridal style hold. "Carrying around that car seat has made my arms so strong you feel like a sack of cotton little lady," Elsa teased as she carried Anna upstairs and into the bedroom. A sack of cotton might have been too kind of a statement but Elsa just loved to treat her wife to little romantic gestures like this every now and then.

* * *

It was the last postpartum appointment at Dr. Bjorgman's office and Elsa was sitting on the edge of the exam table having just finished her final pelvic exam for what she hoped was at least a year. She couldn't help but notice that when her and Anna came in that morning that Dr. Westergard's name had been scraped off the front window and she debated whether or not to ask Kristoff about it. Hands placed on either side of her drummed in an anxious beat as the butcher paper crinkled and shifted below her. She didn't know if it was any of her business but she also had to know what had become of him since trying to hijack her delivery.

"Well everything looks great. I assume intimacy has...resumed?" he asked, brown eyes darting between the two women for confirmation.

"Um...yes," Elsa replied with a shy laugh, face blushing bright pink as she glanced back at Anna. It was really kind of adorable how the woman could get so rough in the bedroom yet still blushed when asked about being "intimate."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry but I noticed that Dr. Westergard's name isn't on the front window anymore," Elsa finally asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"He's no longer practicing here. What he did was just...unacceptable and I can't have that in my office. In fact you can report him to the licensing board if you'd like to take further action."

She nodded her head as she thought about it. So much had happened since Lilly's birth that she'd completely let go of the anger once Kristoff showed up that fateful day.

"I'll think about it."

Finishing the last bit of notes in Elsa's chart, Kristoff clapped it closed and put his pen back in his pocket.

"Well, this is that part of the journey where my job is complete. You're the picture of perfect health and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was going to miss seeing you guys in the office."

Elsa was already starting to tear up as she looked down at Lilly in the car seat, sucking furiously on a pacifier as here big eyes roved over the details of the ceiling. She was what they had all worked so hard for and now it was all over until the next baby. She knew they'd become attached to Kristoff but she didn't have a full understanding of just how much until it was time to part ways.

Seeing the wells of tears building in Elsa's blue eyes Kristoff held his arms wide open and motioned for her to come get one last bear hug, which she practically jumped into; hormones getting the best of her as usual.

"Two or three years will go by really fast and you'll be back before you know it. In the mean time you have this little one to keep you busy," he said in that baritone voice, comforting Elsa with a light pat on her back as she rested her cheek against his muscular shoulder.

"Why are you guys acting like you'll never see each other again? This office is like ten minutes from our house. You know I'm going to be bringing Lilly in here at least once a month to say hi," Anna interrupted loudly, face twisted in confusion at Elsa dramatic display of emotion.

"That's true I didn't think about that," Elsa laughed as she pulled away Kristoff slightly embarassed, drying her eyes with a tissue he'd handed her. "Though it's not quite the same. I guess I should properly thank you for everything you've done for me and my family. I couldn't have asked for a better doctor. Thank you," she said with a smile and hugged him quickly one last time before another tear had the chance to escape down her cheek.

"I'm not going to say goodbye. I refuse. I'm just going to say I'll see you next month because...I will," Anna smirked and raised herself up onto her toes to get her own hug.

"Don't be a stranger feisty pants. I expect to see Lilly no less than once a month," he beamed happily and let his eyes flicker down to Lilly. "See ya later alligator. Maybe by the time you're a big sister you can say after while crocodile."

"Is it wrong that I want my want my wife to get pregnant just so we can keep coming here?" Anna asked half-joking.

"No. But something tells me you'll be back again soon than you think. And I can't wait." Kristoff finally got Anna to release him from her grip and they gave him one last wave as they headed out the office that had come to feel almost like a second home.

* * *

A few nights later just after dinner, Elsa and Anna were curled up on the couch with a blanket watching a romantic comedy while Lilly swayed back and forth in the swing sound asleep in a pair of adorable footie pajamas. Anna assumed the little spoon position while Elsa's hand wrapped over Anna's hip kept wandering up the hem of her shirt and following the trail of freckles up her stomach. Every time Anna would flinch and giggle at the ticklish touch of those slender fingers Elsa couldn't help but kiss her neck from the adorableness that was her wife, fluttering her lashes just under her jaw in a way that made Anna giggle even more. Neither really had any idea what was going on in the movie at this point but were thoroughly enjoying the flirtatious cuddle taking place on the couch. Legs were twisted together like strands of spaghetti and they were pressed so close together it was hard to tell where one person began and the other ended.

Elsa's hand slithered its way out from under Anna's shirt and moseyed over her hip bone to get a good feel of her pert rear, so firm and smooth in the confines of her tight skinny jeans. With Lilly asleep her hands were becoming more daring as they dipped below the waist of her pants and played with the band of her underwear, making Anna realize she wasn't going to be able to keep this at a flirting level much longer. Just as Anna turned to face Elsa and give her better access the house phone rang, eliciting a frustrated groan from both women; mutually deciding to let whoever it was leave a message.

Elsa was in the middle of passionately kissing Anna when the beep went off and she heard someone leaving a message in Norwegian.

"Elsa Arendelle, Dette er doktor Hedstrøm som ringer fra Oslo universitetssykehus angående Agdar Arendelle (this is doctor Hedstrom calling from Oslo University Hospital about Agdar Arendelle)." That was all Elsa needed to hear before she flew over the side of the couch and raced to answer the phone before the caller hung up.

"Dette er Elsa Arendelle (this is Elsa Arendelle)," she panted, trying to get her feet stable underneath herself as her socks had caused her to slip a little against the slick hardwood floors of the kitchen.

Anna crept into the kitchen close behind and was starting to have an eerie version of deja vu playing through her mind and she knew that frantic Norwegian wasn't a good sign. Leaning against the frame of the kitchen doorway she waited with the world's longest face as she listened to Elsa's end of the conversation.

"Jeg er hans datter (I'm his daughter)." Elsa's heart was already racing, nearly bursting as she tried to understand how a hospital in Norway would be calling so soon after he left. Adgar couldn't have been home more than a few days.

The phone was pressed flush up against her ear and her fingers kept playing nervously with her lips as she listened to the doctor, hand suddenly dropping along with her facial expression at what he had to say.

"J-jeg beklager, jeg forstår ikke (I-I'm sorry, I don't understand)," her voice dropping to a ghost-like whisper, fragile and strained as the man repeated himself again.

Her hand slapped across her mouth and her eyes squeezed shut so tight only her lashes could be seen, shaking her head as she tried to keep her head clear enough to handle the situation.

"Get me my phone," she said to Anna, who immediately ran back to the couch to fetch it and brought it back to Elsa.

A flurry of Norwegian went back and forth over the phone and Elsa read off a number before bidding the caller goodnight, leaving Anna to assume only the worst. She waited a moment after Elsa hung up the phone. There were no tears, no collapsing to the floor or even a flush blooming across her features, just a look of shock as her blue eyes continued to stare blankly at the phone.

"Elsa," Anna said softly, snapping her out of her trance. "What happened?" asking as if she already knew but needed to hear it for herself.

Elsa shook her head once more, jumbling her thoughts until they fell into an order that made sense to her.

"My father collapsed at a meeting downtown. That was the hospital and...he was pronounced dead about an hour ago."

"Elsa I'm so sorry," Anna came to pull her stiffened body into a hug but she didn't relax into it. "His body just finally gave out. I know he was sick but it still seems kind of sudden." Having gone through something similar, Anna didn't even bother with asking if Elsa was okay because there was no way her brain could even process such a thing yet. She just held her right there in the middle of the kitchen until Elsa finally let herself melt into the hug and held onto her like she was her life preserver in a storming sea.

Eventually Anna got Elsa up to bed and went back downstairs to tend to Lilly, changing her diaper and swaddling her up nice and tight before putting her next to Elsa in the bassinet. Elsa was still blank faced lying in bed with her eyes fixed on nothing in particular when Anna slid up next to her, stroking her face as she tried to bring some signs of life back to those pale features.

"I want to say I know how you feel but...I can't read your face. You okay?"

A deep inhale seemed to bring Elsa back to this dimension and her eyes finally flicker up to meet Anna's.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"I'm not entirely convinced. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"I'm...I'm a little shocked of course...and sad. I mean he was just here and now he's gone. But…" she trailed off wistfully.

"But what?"

"But I feel like this weight has also been lifted. Like I'm free." For what she was saying Elsa didn't look happy to be feeling free, she looked devastated as her face screwed up into a look of complete anguish.

"That makes me such a bad person doesn't it? To feel free?" Now the tears were starting to flow and Anna was already shaking her head in disagreement. "I'm a bad person," bursting into tears while Anna through her arms around her.

"No, no, no. You're not a bad person. In fact you're such an amazingly good person that you feel bad about having some sort of closure to that part of your life. Just him being here wasn't going to give you what you needed because he was a different person after seven years. You were never given the chance to confront the man who tormented you for all those years. And now he's gone and yes you'll miss him and grieve and I know a part of you is devastated from this. But there is _nothing_ wrong with feeling free from him, all of him."

Elsa sobbed into Anna's shoulder and shook her head. While she had enjoyed the last bit of time she got to spend with her father, it still didn't wash away the memory of what he'd done to her. Someone in her mind that version of her father had been in her head every day of her life for the past seven years and now he was gone and in a strange way it did give her some closure; painful and bittersweet closure.

* * *

Three weeks later, a man stood in front of their large front door and stared at the keyhole while the sounds of giggles and children's music could be heard from within. Everyone had been playing on a large quilted blanket spread out in the middle of the family room, teasing Lilly with tickles as she did some tummy time on the floor. She was constantly finding new ways to squeal and talk little coos and hums of joy that went higher in pitch each time one of her mommies smiled or talked to her. The giggles were soon interrupted by the sound of the Westminster doorbell chime echoing through the house and Lilly's eyes widened as she searched for the source of the strange noise.

"You get it. There's no way I'm getting up. Too tired from fun," Anna groaned from a tangled position on the floor, still clutching onto one of Lilly hands.

"Fine," Elsa huffed as she picked herself up and went to answer the door. Tired but still having traces of a good time lingering on her face Elsa was surprised to see a well-dressed man standing before her.

"Elsa Arendelle?" he asked.

"Yes, that's me."

"I'm a courier from a local law office that is responsible for coordinating with…" he paused to read from the label on the front of a thick manila envelope clasped tightly in his hands. "Sk-skegg..ah..stad….Advo…" he stuttered and stumbled over the foreign words until Elsa politely saved him from his grief.

"Skjeggestad Advokatfirma."

"Yes, excellent. You said it perfectly. I practiced it the whole way here but I'm not familiar with Norwegian...at all."

"It's quite alright," she replied with a smile so becoming that the man actually found himself lost in it for a moment.

"Anyhow. I'm to make sure this gets delivered to you, so if you could sign here please.

Elsa gently took the man's pen and clipboard, quickly signing her name with a puzzled expression befalling her face as to what this was all about.

"This is for you," he said and handed her the bulky envelope. "And have a pleasant day Mrs. Arendelle."

She smiled at him one last time as she shut the door and surveyed the package. Elsa didn't even bring her attention back to Anna and Lilly and walked straight into the kitchen to open it.

After several minutes Anna gave up hope of Elsa coming back and scooped up Lilly to find out what she was up to.

When she came into the kitchen she found Elsa hunched over the island, hands splayed out and supporting her against the expanse of granite as a grid of neatly ordered papers lay out before her. Elsa seemed to be deep in thought as she read an official looking document directly under her face.

"What's all this?" Anna asked with a gurgling Lilly wrapped in her arms, busy gnawing on her fist.

"It's my father's last will and testament."

"I thought you told him you didn't want the money?"

"I did."

"And he gave it to you anyways?"

"No."

"I'm going to need some more words here to put the pieces together because I have no clue what's going on."

Elsa took the paper in her hands and turned to approach Anna, morose but with a sense of solace gracing her features as she showed her the document. "He didn't leave to me. He left it to Lilly."

Anna's mouth dropped in surprise as her eyes fell onto the letter and then to tiny little Lilly, who was suddenly the richest person in the room according to the obscene number of zeros in front of Anna's bulging eyes.

"There's also a letter. It says:

 _Dearest Elsa,_

 _I had this drafted as soon as I returned home following our conversation. It would give me no greater joy to hand down the inheritance you rightly deserve. This is not just money that belonged to me but money that was cultivated over several generations by hardworking Arendelle's such as yourself. However, I must respect your wishes. Therefore I am leaving all of my assets to Lillian and any future children you may have. Again, this is not just money but a chance to give them everything I couldn't give you...the means to follow their dreams. Whatever it is they want to do in life, let this pave the road for them to do so. May this be my lasting gift to you and your family to excel at their talents and be guided by their hearts._

 _If anything should happen, there is a clause to use the trust money for any medical or basic needs they may need in the future. Your family comes first, do not hesitate to use this money to take care of them in whatever manner you deem necessary._

 _Lastly, despite your request, I am leaving you the four estates in Norway. My only hope is that you will always have a place to call home in Norway and that you will fill each home with happy memories of your family. Replace the pain of the past with the sounds of laughter and joy. Bring them for Christmas to see the snow. Take them to the Chateau in summer to experience the richness of nature at its finest. Share with them your heritage and never forget who you are._

 _Kjærlig hilsen,_

 _Far_

 _(love, Father)_

Tears had already stained the letter by the time she was done reading it. It was beautiful and moving, yet so bittersweet as everything with her father had been in their final days together.

Anna had remembered how it felt to have the lawyer read her parent's will to her after their death and knew there were no words that could fill that moment. Despite everything that happened, Elsa's father had bookended their relationship with love. He loved her the moment he clapped eyes on her as a tiny baby in his arms and he loved her in the moment of his death, leaving her with a profession of his devotion to help her heal from his darkest moments.

With their baby clutched in one arm, Anna encircled the other around Elsa's back and held her as she let sweet tears stream down her rosy cheeks. Comfort from beyond the grave was a powerful thing and Elsa felt like she could finally let go of any remaining doubts she had about her father's intentions. He left this world thinking of nothing but her and what was most important to her; her family.

* * *

The evening had resumed with its usual rituals of a story read by Anna, a song sung by both of them, and one last feeding for the night served up by none other than Elsa.

Needing some extra affection, Elsa pulled Anna into the nursery chair as they lovingly watched Lilly slowly drift off to sleep with her pink chubby cheeks puffed out and that dazzling blonde hair shimmering in the light. Lilly was so utterly captivating. Even while asleep she could get her mommies to mindlessly stare at her without a care in the world and just watch her gently breathe those sweet baby breaths. The rise and fall of her little chest was simply mesmerizing as they each tried to envision what Lilly might look when she grew up.

"You okay? This has been the craziest few weeks," Anna asked with a stretched out yawn, tucking her chilly blue feet under the haven of Elsa's warm legs.

"This has been the craziest _year_. But yeah...I'm okay. I'm a little sad but I feel...fulfilled somehow. You, me, and Lilly. Feels good." A smile crept across her face as she cradled Lilly against her chest, tucking her just under her chin so that it could rest against that feather soft platinum hair she loved so much.

"Good," Anna hummed sleepily, smiling back at Elsa as Lilly began to wheeze a bit, sinking deeper into baby dreamland.

With Lilly sleeping safely nearby in the bassinet they pulled back the covers and wearily climbed into bed, so ready to put this day behind them and start fresh tomorrow. This time Anna held Elsa close against her chest, inhaling her wonderful scent as she lightly strummed her fingers through her flowing blonde locks. As tired as they were Anna could tell Elsa wasn't sleeping just yet because she could feel the flutter of her eyelashes against her skin as she bit her bottom lip, deep in thought no doubt.

"Anna," Elsa muffled from the crook of Anna's neck.

"Yeah," pressing a kiss to her downy soft mane.

"I was thinking about everything. Everything that happened with my father, how I was trying to end my chase for his love and affection. I was so consumed with needing his approval, even after these years. Trying to fill that bottomless hole he left me with. But I've realized something," she said pulling away to look into Anna's aquamarine eyes.

"Everything I need...everything I was searching for...was right here the whole time. The love and affection I craved from him could never compare to what you give me. What we have together. You've loved me from day one and have never stopped, it's only grown deeper. You've always been there for me, pushing me at times but never letting me give up. Never letting me settle. With you my dreams have come true. I have love, a home, and the family I've always wanted...thanks to you. I love you very much and I don't think I even possess the words to make you understand how much you mean to me. But thank you...for loving me. For being my wife. For being my partner on this crazy journey. I can't believe for all that we've been through we're really just at the beginning of it..and I can't wait to see what the chapter has in store."

The side of Anna's pillow was saturated with tears that were still rolling off those freckled cheeks of hers. "I love you too. I love you so much...and I wouldn't rather share my life with anyone else."

Elsa cupped her wife's face in her hands and kissed her gently before turning out the light and snuggling up against Anna, both falling asleep wrapped in each other's arms.


	40. Chapter 40:Epilogue

**A/N: Buddle up! We're going to Norway!**

* * *

The plane was quiet and with most of the passengers still sleeping when the flight attendant came over the intercom to announce that the captain had begun their descent into Oslo. Six year old Lilly had been the only one awake playing games on a mini tablet and excitedly turned to her mother when she heard that they were nearing their destination after a painstakingly long nonstop flight. Elsa was fast asleep curled up into a fluffy down pillow she'd brought from home because the thought of using one of those used little airplane pillows was just appalling to her. Thinking the morning sun would help rouse her tired mother Lilly raised the window shade and looked wide eyed out over the endless stretch of snow covered farmland, grinning from ear to ear that they were finally going to get to play in real snow for the first time.

"Mamma våkn opp. Det er snø utenfor (Mama wake up. There's snow outside)," her soft angelic voice crept its way into Elsa's consciousness and her eyes slowly flickered open. "Se, vi er her (Look, we're here)," smiling with her little index finger pointed and pressed against the frosty window as the glow of pinks and blues out in the distance came into focus. It was a sight for sore eyes and Elsa instantly smiled next to Lilly as they flew over blotchy patches of water, rural areas giving way to the scattering sections of civilization as they neared the metropolitan city ahead.

She eventually pried her elated blue eyes away from the glorious site of the Norwegian dawn outside the window and over to Anna who was sprawled out amongst the four seats of the middle row with twins Andy and Tommy tucked under each of her arms, all fast asleep much to her dismay. Elsa wasn't sure which was going to be worse, having to wake two two-years old or Anna, all of them would probably throw a tantrum for sure. After internally giggling at the three heads of disheveled red hair Elsa made a mental count of everyone but they were still missing one little Arendelle.

"Hvor er din søster (Where is your sister)?" she asked Lilly concerningly, scanning up and down the narrow aisle for the fourth redhead.

"Jeg vet ikke. Jeg trodde hun var med mom (I don't know. I thought she was with mom)," Lilly answered with a shrug, returning her wondrous gaze to the window.

Trying to stifle the panic rapidly rising up from her chest Elsa placed Lilly with Anna and the boys and proceeded to pace up and down the aisles, searching for the tiniest bit of that easy to spot hair of hers but was coming up empty. The only thing that kept her from completely losing it was that it was a plane and she couldn't have gone far.

After enlisting the help of a few flight attendants they found the little girl had snuck her way into first class and was curled up in an empty seat, apparently having enjoyed a sundae earlier in the flight as evidence by the empty glass and spoon on her tray table. Elsa decided not to scold the staff for letting a lone girl into first class without a ticket being the reason she had wandered up there in the first place was because both of her mothers had fallen asleep.

"Kiera, våkn opp lille venn. Det er på tide å lande (Kiera, wake up little one. It's time to land)," Elsa scooped her sleeping four year old into her arms, first class blanket and all, and plopped her into the seat next to hers as everyone began to wake up and prepare for landing.

A double stroller and a caravan of luggage was piled up on the curb of the pick up area of the airport as they all waited for the shuttle Elsa had arranged for, complete with car seats so that they didn't have to worry about dragging them along all the way from home.

Finally the van arrived and both moms worked to buckle four kids into boosters and car seats, cranky and crying from the long twelve hour flight, except for Kiera who was quietly watching the chaos unfold. She may have looked like Anna, freckled cheeks and all, but she had Elsa's patience and sense of calm about her that made her the easiest child of the bunch. With everyone in their seat, Anna lost a game of rock, paper, scissors to Elsa and stayed in back with the kids while Elsa got to ride shotgun with the driver.

"Do we have everything and everybody?" Elsa called to the back of the van, mentally counting all six of them again.

"Four redheads, two blondes, and a partridge in a pear tree," Anna smirked from the middle of the second row before she was whacked in the face with one of the twins' toys.

"Then we're off. Til Bygdøy vær så snill (to Bygdøy please)."

Taking the train into the city would have been ideal but with this many kids it would have been a disaster. Elsa flashed back to when her and Anna felt like they were never going to survive Lilly's case of the terrible twos and now they were somehow handling twin two-year boys on top of two older girls. How they managed to make it this far was beyond them and Elsa couldn't wait to get to the house and have Kai and Gerda give them a break. They loved their children to pieces but four kids had been a surprise. Everything about that last pregnancy had been planned to be surprise, including the egg and gender but twins ended up being the biggest surprise of them all. Because of that they had to find out the gender early, which was fine because they'd gotten over the whole surprise thing once they found out baby number three came with a bonus kid. Elsa got to name Kiera, the name Lilly almost got, and when baby number three came out with that unmistakable redhair, Anna took the chance to name him after her father Andrew. Thomas had been on Anna's short list of names and went well with Andy and thus Tommy became baby number four.

Kiera had been the easiest pregnancy, allowing her mommy to dodge morning sickness that time around. It was such a peaceful pregnancy that Elsa thought for sure they were having a boy because everything was starkly different from her pregnancy with Lilly. They knew she was Anna's egg but seeing that flaming red hair once Anna laid Kiera on to Elsa's chest made her cry sweet tears of joy. Lilly finally had a little sister to play dolls and tea with and Elsa fulfilled her dream of having mini versions of her and Anna, even though they had slightly mixed personalities.

The streets were filled with slushy gray snow as they zoomed down the E6 towards the outskirts of Oslo, children screaming and squealing at all the fluffy white stuff they couldn't wait to play in along the way. This wasn't the children's first time to Norway but this was their first time to the house in Oslo and their first time during winter.

The past few years they'd spend a week or two during the summers at the home in Bergen and their other estate up north in a more rural area near the fjords. Each time Elsa's mother had met them and took care of everything, including the kids, when they came. With the children each two years apart it was harder for the family to travel some years and they didn't even make it to Norway for a year after the twins came.

Beside the scheduling difficulties Elsa just wasn't ready to go back to the main estate, still feeling too many conflicting emotions. The house was filled with so many awful memories that she was still processing and the good memories just made her miss her father even more. All that emotional turmoil combined with pregnancy hormones always made Elsa opt for one of the other homes instead. It had taken six years but she was finally going to keep her promise to her father and bring her children to the estate for Christmas, even if he could only be there in spirit.

Six years gave Elsa plenty of time to make whatever changes she wanted to the estate in order to make it more suitable to her needs. The home hadn't had a child living in it since Elsa was a little girl and the whole place needed to be childproofed and rooms needed to be refurbished and furnished to accommodate four small children. She did everything from home and met with contractors during their briefs visits to Oslo when they were on their way to Bergen or Stavanger to visit Idunn. There was plenty of space for the kids to have their own rooms but Elsa kept it the same as it was at home with the girls in one room and the boys in another. A large spare room in between the two bedrooms was converted into playroom and Elsa gave into her "limited screentime" rule and had a flat screen installed so the kids could watch movies. Sometimes they just had to do whatever possible to keep them entertained and survive the day. At home there were some nights Anna would never have been able to get dinner made for six people if she didn't have TV or electonics to keep the kids busy.

The last room that needed attention was an old guest room that Elsa wanted to use as master bedroom for her and Anna. Her old room was much too small and filled with too many memories to be used and although her parents' room was fit for a King, the idea of sleeping with her wife in her parents room was unsettling, especially when there were plenty of other rooms to choose from.

Lastly, since it was going to be a Jul/Christmas trip, Elsa had Kai oversee some professional decorators to come in and liven the place up with as many trees and lights as possible. Kai had also overseen all the preparations for their visit and made sure the children had adequate cold weather clothing in their closets and also had the pantry stocked with child friendly foods and snacks. Kai and Gerda were only going to be staying with them the first two days because Elsa just didn't have the heart to ask them to work on a holiday and gave them the rest of the week off. They'd be on their own for just one day and then Idunn would be back from her getaway with her _companion_ Byron and join them at the house until New Years before heading back to Stavanger.

Soon enough the shuttle was pulling up to the giant gates of the estate on Oslo's Bygdøy peninsula, guarded by a massive wrought iron "A" on the front and two festive wreaths Kai had placed there the day before.

 _Oohs_ and _Ahhs_ erupted from the backseat as the children laid their eyes of the biggest house they'd ever seen. Even Anna's jaw dropped to the floor. She knew Elsa had lived amongst the wealthy growing up, even seen the overhead shots of the estate on Google Earth at one point, but seeing it in person was simply mindblowing.

After thirteen long years Elsa was finally returning to her childhood home. The last time she had passed through the gates she had left as a devastated young woman, alone in the world and banished from her family and the house that was now in front of her. This time she had her loving wife and children by her side and it was a triumphant return if anything. While everyone went crazy with excitement in the back, tears pricked Elsa's eyes as the shuttle pulled into the circular driveway. It felt so good to be home but at the same time a flood of memories, good and bad, come rushing back in an instant. Oddest of all, neither of her parents would be there to greet her; though Elsa swore she could see the image of her father standing at the door waiting for her like he had that last time they'd been here together. She banished the memory of that day and instead turned her attention to the four children bouncing around as Anna began to unbuckle everyone out of their seats.

There were no parents but Kai and Gerda opened the massive front doors with warm smiles and open arms to greet her. Elsa couldn't help herself and as soon as she was done lifting Lilly down from the shuttle she ran up the stairs and fell into their arms, letting a few tears trickle down her cheeks in the process.

"Welcome home Mrs. Elsa," Kai said softly, only making Elsa tear up a little more.

"These must be the little ones," Gerda chirped and kneeled down to welcome them. The woman simply adored children and had been nothing but ecstatic to have not one but four back in the long forgotten home.

Before she got too swept away in the moment Elsa turned to see her smiling children all lined up like the Von Trapp family from the Sound of Music, ready to be introduced.

"This is Lilly, Kiera, Tommy, and Andy. You can tell the last two apart because if one of them is getting into trouble it's usually Andy," Elsa smiled proudly. "And of course my wife Anna, whom you've heard so much about."

"Well Mrs. Elsa, you've managed to multiply the Arendelle name by four. Five including Anna. And they're all gorgeous. The oldest looks a lot like a little girl I knew once," Kai said with a waggle of his brow, puffing his chest out just a bit more as they both shared a smile.

"Yes but she has a mind and personality of her own so beware. She's mischievous and incredibly smart. Keeps us on our toes." Lilly quirked her brows at the comment but then nodded her head in agreement. "But the biggest heart. She loves to hug. They all do." Elsa added.

"Who's ready for hot chocolate and a nice warm breakfast?!" Gerda called to the children like a sweet grandmother type.

"I am, I am!" Lilly and Kiera yelled, followed by the twins who only mumbled, "me, me" through their chattering teeth as they climbed the steep stairs on all fours.

Gerda had prepared an absolute feast and they'd even had boosters for the boys' chairs, thinking of everything down to the last detail. There were traditional Norwegian cold cuts and other foods but the kids all went for the french toast, pancakes, and sausage that Elsa had put on the list of their favorite foods.

Too tired to eat, the staff begged the two tired mothers to take a nap in their new room while they tended to the children. Twenty hours from the time they'd all left the house had left them pretty worn and ragged.

"This house is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. It must have been amazing to grow up here," Anna's head rolled up and around as she stared in awe at the massive chandelier overheard. Just as Agdar had noticed details of his house in Elsa's home in the states, Anna was now doing the same in reverse. The chandelier, the stairs, the layout, everything was very similar.

"Lonely is more like it," Elsa replied sullenly. For as beautiful as the house was she would have traded it all in a heartbeat to have lived in the crackerjack sized home Anna grew up in if it meant having a warm and loving family to go with it.

The top of the grand staircase lead to a fork that separated the east and west wings of the house. The east wing was where Elsa's family had lived, which meant that all the new refurbished rooms were in the west wing; far away from any memories she didn't want to revisit any time soon.

"Our room is this way," leading Anna down the long stretch of hallway. "And those three down there are the children's room. Just far enough away that the baby monitors will work... without them hearing us, if you know what I mean," Elsa smiled coyly and Anna nodded, completely understanding what she meant.

Thirteen years and four kids hadn't put the damper on their sex life much. The amount of time together had diminished but their desire for each other was still going strong, especially since they were still riding the honeymoon wave of their latest return to sex after the twins. That had been such a difficult pregnancy that Elsa barely even let Anna touch her, that was also part of Kristoff's orders as well in order to get the babies to full term.

Recovering from delivering and breastfeeding twins had also taken the wind out their sails and after the first few month when Elsa went back to work she finally broke down and hired some help to come during the evenings. One of the best decisions she'd ever made. Anna could make dinner in peace and Elsa could help get everyone ready for bed afterwards while the nanny helped with whatever they needed in between. After that they had plenty of energy to rekindle their flame and sex was never better now that it was seen as something more of a treat.

Elsa opened the door to their new master suit and Anna gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Elsa hadn't seen the room in person herself, only on Skype, and was impressed with the work. It was gray outside and even though there wasn't much light streaming into the room it looked bright and cheery even so. The home tended to have this dark and dreary feeling sometimes and she wanted the room to be a breath of fresh air, light and warm like Anna herself.

"This is gorgeous Elsa! I don't think I ever want to go back home," eyes continuing to rove the room and settle on the crackling fireplace near the bed.

"How nice of Kai to have a fire going. It's kind of romantic in here. I hadn't intended it to have a honeymoon suite feel to it but with you in here… it does." They may have been tired but time alone together was so rare that it was hard to pass up sex when the opportunity presented itself.

Neither one of them bothered to unpack a stitch of clothing and instead they both stripped down to undershirts and underwear and crawled under the massive duvet.

"Thank you for getting one big duvet instead two like in Bergen," Anna muffled from under the covers.

"No problem. You have no idea how difficult it was to get American style bedding over here. But it was worth it."

Anna cozied up to Elsa and let their legs twist together, warming her feet against Elsa's slender calves. "You happy?" Anna asked, looking deep into those sparkling blue eyes that now held a special twinkle in them. Only Norway could bring out the extra special something in Elsa and Anna relished seeing it wash over her features as they lay tangled in each other's arms.

"Very happy. Happy to be home but even more to be here with you," brushing her lips against Anna's as the elation of the moment took over. With snow gently falling outside the window and a roaring fire by their bedside, they got to make love to each other in Norway, in Norwegian and Elsa's heart swelled with overwhelming euphoria.

* * *

The next day was Jul and Kai prepared an extravagant dinner for them before he and Gerda departed to be with their own families. After dinner Anna and Elsa pulled out their cameras and let the kids open gifts under the towering tree that had so many bulbs and lights that they could hardly see the branches. To end the day Elsa made krumkake on her mormor's iron and everyone ate themselves in a food coma before heading off to bed.

One of the best parts of having a Norwegian and an American mother was getting to celebrate Jul and Christmas. Elsa only let the kids open some of their gifts for Jul, which was traditionally celebrated Christmas eve, and saved the rest for the following morning on Christmas day.

Idunn had tried to get the earliest flight she could back to see the kids open their presents but with the time change it just didn't work out right. However, she had planned to bring plenty of gifts with her so that she could see her smiling grandbabies open them before her very eyes.

By the afternoon the boys were down for a nap with Lilly and Kiera watching _Energikanpen_ with Anna in the family room. Elsa loved the show because it was not only Norwegian but featured kids using problem solving skills about energy and the environment. She always wanted to make sure they were getting some sort of educational value out of their tv watching.

Anna on the other hand was struggling to keep up with the pace of the language. Elsa was kind enough to speak slowly and keep her speech within Anna's limited vocabulary but the shows in Norway seemed to be spoken a lightning fast pace. Lilly and Kiera bantered back forth about show in fluent Norwegian, laughing and fully immersed while Anna stared quizzically with her head tilted like a confused puppy dog.

The sound of the large brass knocker on the door outside announced the arrival of Idunn and Elsa skipped over to the door from the kitchen where she'd been preparing some after nap snacks for the boys.

Dressed in puffy winter coat Idunn was looking rather radiant and tan from her trip to Barbados as she smiled and hugged Elsa at the door. In the years since their reunion, Idunn had done away with the lack of physical affection in her family and having missed her daughter for seven straight years, she took every chance she could to hug her these day.

"Hi mother. Travel well?" Elsa glowed with a warm smile. Her heart swelled knowing her whole family was together now and the holiday could really begin. Not only that, but the children were very much looking to seeing their bestemor, just as Idunn was ecstatic to see them.

The spurts of time in between visits were pretty long and each time she saw them she swore they were growing way too fast. In the years where Elsa was too pregnant or busy to travel, Idunn would fly to see her and watch the kids so that she and Anna could have a night out together. Idunn knew more than anyone how important it was to keep that spark alive in a marriage and she wanted that for Elsa more than anything. She loved being with Byron, but it wasn't the same as being with the father of her child. She'd always hoped for one big happy family and while she and Agdar had theirs for a short while, that dream quickly dwindled before their eyes and she grew into a person she down right despised before he finally broke her entirely.

Now she was happier than ever traveling and attending to Byron, who was very busy in the oil industry but was careful to make plenty of time for her. At first Elsa didn't know what to make of the arrangement. She'd only learned of it just before her father's death but as time went by she saw how happy her mother was the effect he had on her. He was a nice guy and while she didn't exactly embrace him as family, she more than appreciated what he did for her mother.

The driver that had dropped Idunn off helped bring in some gifts she'd brought for Jul while Lilly and Kiera ran with open arms to hug her.

"Bestemor!" they cheered as they snuggled into her down coat.

"Hello my girls. Oh, how I missed you both. Look how tall you both are. And your hair is so long!"

Both girls were simply stunning but Idunn always found herself doing a double take with Lilly. Every time she laid eyes on her she was transported back to a time when her Elsa was that little, so wide eyed and optimistic. But Kiera was actually the one that reminded her of Elsa the most. She had a thirst for knowledge and a pleasant disposition just like Elsa did. At the house in Bergen Kiera would like to curl up with Idunn in the library and have her read books to her while Lilly preferred to help Anna cook in the kitchen or do some sketches with Elsa.

Instantly the boys must have known that gifts bearing their names had just come within close proximity to them because they woke up not long after Idunn arrived. Still dressed in their pajamas, Elsa carried one boy on each hip down the stairs like a pro and then let them toddle the rest of the way to their bestemor, or "momo" as the twins called her in their two year old accent.

While Idunn continued to be attacked with hugs and kisses from the brood of little Adrendelles, Elsa and Anna put all of the presents under the tree and took Idunn's things up to her room.

The boys chose to skip their snack all together and everyone gathered around the tree to watch the kids tear into the gifts Idunn had brought. Her face beamed and shined with delight as she watched their little faces light up at each new toy they opened. Lilly screamed when one of the gifts she opened was a brand new iPad and Kiera quickly found that there was one for each of the four kids.

"You bought them iPads?" Elsa grumbled.

"Isn't that what kids want these days?" Idunn replied like the innocent sweet grandmother she was. In her mind, grandchildren were meant to be spoiled and that's exactly what she did.

"The boys are two. What on Earth are they going to do with an iPad?"

"Watch Sesame Street? I bought protector cases for all of them so they won't break if they drop them. They're kids. Let them have fun."

Elsa pursed her lips and shot Idunn back a look of confusion. "When I was six you got me the complete works of Shakespeare for Jul."

"Things change. Look how happy they are," directing their attention back to the giggling children in front of the brightly lit tree.

As the pile of gifts competed in height with the tower of used wrapping paper the kids had finally worked their way down the last few gifts that Idunn had been eagerly awaiting for them to open.

All four gasped in unison when they opened the largest boxes and found four old wooden sleds, painted different colors with some rosemaling along the solid maple wood, and a box full of other toys to play with in the snow. Round disks, sleek plastic sleds, and even a bundle of carrots and a sack of coal to make snowmen where in the box.

Now that all four kids were jumping up and down with excitement to go outside and play in the newly fallen snow, Idunn helped Elsa and Anna get the kids to their rooms and bundled in coats, hats, mittens, and boots for an afternoon of fun.

The lawns of the estate were covered in thick snow and it was a winter wonderland with plenty of space and hills for all four kids to have an area of their own to play in. But much to their surprise they chose to all stay together and the girls even took turns taking the boys down the hill in their new sleds.

Giggles and laughter filled the estate and it was a heavenly sound that made Idunn and Elsa's hearts fill with bittersweet joy. The dark cloud of memories that had loomed over the house for years was now being replaced by smiling happy children playing freely in a place that once held so much sorrow for both women. And although her father had been the cause of most of that pain, Elsa couldn't help but think that he was smiling down on them as she fulfilled one of his last wishes. In that moment she let her eyes flutter close and inhaled the smell of the fresh spruce trees that bordered the property, that unmistakable bitter cold of the Norwegian winter air rushing over her features as she thought of her father in their last moments together. She remembered how he told her he loved her; that he always had. And even though he wasn't there, this truly was the best Christmas they'd ever had.

When their little arms and legs were too tired to carry the sleds back up to the top of the small hill the kids found a flat stretch of snow and began to make snow angels and snowmen, only the bottom part of the snowman became too heavy to push for Lilly and Kiera.

"Mama, Mommy! Come help us make a snowman!"

"Do you wanna come?" Elsa quickly asked Idunn before heading out.

"No. You two play with your babies. I'll watch." There was no place she'd rather be than in the perfect view spot to watch her daughter and her family finally get to play in snow without a care in the world.

Anna helped Lilly roll the large lumpy bottom of the snowman into a huge ball while Elsa and Kiera rolled the middle section, dodging incoming snowballs from the boys in the process. With the first two parts of the snowman in place they all got together and helped the boys learn how to build a small little snowball into the snowman's head by rolling it along the ground and stopping to pack the snow down every so often. Lilly ran to fetch the carrots and coal and they each took turns giving him a nose, two eyes, and three buttons down his chest.

"He looks awesome!" Lilly declared with Kiera nodding emphatically in agreement.

"I love the snow," Kiera sighed dreamily.

"Do you like it down your shirt?" Lilly teased as she shoved a bit of snow down her sister's coat, sending chills up her spine as it melted into her sweater underneath.

"Oh get her Kiera!" Anna encouraged with the spirit of a feisty kid, helping the little redhead make a few snowballs and throw them at her sister as she ran away, accidently hitting Elsa in the back of the head instead.

"Ooff. Hey!" Elsa yelled and quickly pelted Anna with a rapid fire of snowballs. "You realize I grew up here and can take you down in a second!"

"Is that a challenge?" Anna replied. Her, Kiera, and the boys had already taken up coverage behind the snowman and let another snowball fly and deck Elsa right in the leg.

"That's it! Get 'em Lilly." A battle of blondes versus redheads broke out and snowballs were flying back and forth in a winter war zone as Idunn laughed mirthfully off in the distance. At one point in the game Lilly and Kiera switched sides and then later joined together in a round of kids versus mommies and neither Elsa nor Anna could remember the last time they'd had so much fun.

Idunn watched with a smile plastered on her face as they all continued to play in the snow. Elsa and Anna took turns on the sleds with each of the kids and they ended up building a whole snowman family, complete with two mommies and four little snowman kids. Idunn felt like laughing and crying at the same time as she watched her daughter enjoy her children in way Elsa had never experienced herself as a child. She felt guilty and saddened but was comforted by the gorgeous woman in front of her that Elsa had become. She was a loving mother of the best kind. Always putting her children first and making sure to keep her marriage going as well. Times weren't always easy but there in the snow, Elsa and Anna had everything they needed in life; their children, happiness, and each other.

The End

* * *

 **A/N:**

For those of you who want more but want to skip the lengthy author's note, don't forget to read With You: Past, Present, Future if you want follow along with the Arendelle family.

I also have two other fics going on right now that are updating regularly, The Company and Crash Into Me, if you want even more Elsanna reads XD

So we've reached the end of this incredible journey and even though it's been seven months, I can't believe it's finally over. I've grown so much not just as a writer but as person over the course of this story and I want to thank the readers for helping me not give up when I wanted to quite. This story is really special to me personally in so many ways and I'm so glad it was not only a great fic but touched readers on a personal level. I'll never forget some of the stories some of you have shared with me and how you saw a piece of yourself in this story.

And for those of you who were inspired by Elsa and Anna's love, take it from someone who has defied the skeptics and know that real lasting love is out there, so go find it.

I have to thank my betas, all of them that worked on this fic.

Rootastic, who helped me when I had no one in the beginning.

Hunhund who helped me realized what a gem I had and really gave me the confidence I needed to make it blossom.

And Elsanna-is-the-law who is just simply amazing. She took on double updates and 10,000 word chapters and never complained. She's mine so stay away authors. :)

And to Leahlinn in Norway for everything Norwegian (not just the translations but factual/cultural stuff as well). How special was it to have non-google translated Norwegian in this fic? I owe Elsa's sexy Norwegian to her :)

Last but not least the readers! Thank you all for each and every one of your reviews or comments on here or on tumblr. I have been moved to tears by some of the things you have said. Thank you for loving the story, the characters, and making me feel like this was really something special! I love you all!

Freudianslip13


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